Where The Heart Is
by bottlecaps
Summary: Social worker Iruka meets an orphaned Naruto at a playground. The desire to provide Naruto with the love, care, and family that he's never known sparks an affection between Iruka and Kakashi. KakaIru and eventual NaruSasu.Chapter 8 posted!
1. Lonely

**Hello everyone and welcome to another one of my fan fictions. This one is a bit different from my usual fanfics. It has absolutely nothing to do with the anime other than the characters, so yes, I am trying something new. I hope for some positive feed-back. This will most definitely be a SasuNaru pairing, with maybe some ItaNaru as well, and eventually IrukaXKakashi. Okay. I'm gonna be quiet and let you all read now. Hope you all like this. Oh yeah, there will be swearing and mentioning of intense things like rape, abuse...hence the rated T warning. If you are uncomfortable reading content like this, then please don't read it.**

**Disclaimer: Naruto and all other characters are licensed to Masashi Kishimoto. Sadly, this includes both Itachi Uchiha and Gaara. Oh well.**

**Chapter 1. Lonely**

**Winter was approaching fast in Konoha City. Many of the citizens in the area had already strung up their festive lights and were enjoying the time of the year. A heavy snowstorm was expected to bear its tremendous weight down upon Konoha in several days, completely whiting out the area. It promised to be the coldest winter season ever. Despite the foreboding chill in the air, the small town was still hustling and bustling with activity.**

**Adults wrapped up in layers of clothes traveled slowly through the streets. Some walked slower than others; their arms laden with heavy bags and boxes. Near the center of the town was a park. Although it was only fifty degrees outside, many parents had still brought their children to play at the playground. The sound of childish laughter filled the air with music. All of the noise brought warmth to the scene, which could not have been done by the soft rays of sunshine cast down by a colorless orb high in the pale blue sky.**

**A sharp, bitter wind rattled the bare tree limbs; long gray trunks extending to the sky like skeletal fingers. The only color in the otherwise bleak city came from the playground. Slides of various heights and shades of red, green, yellow, and purple stood in a sea of gravel. Metal bars connected them all in different ways. There were several swing sets, long, heavy pipes on the ground that provided perfect places for children to play hide-and-seek in, and deep blue teeter-totters in the far corner nearest the fence. Benches near the teeter-totters gave the adults a clear view of the entire playground.**

"**Come on! It's your turn to be "It!"**

"**Ha-ha! You can't get me! Na na na na na!"**

"**Weeee!"**

**The gleeful sounds rose up from a little school of children flocked around the slide area. They all seemed to be having a grand time, judging from the shouts of laughter that floated up from the group. Suddenly, a black-and-white soccer ball was kicked up high into the air. The children were playing a game of soccer.**

**From one of the benches lining the inside of the fence, a man sat, hands shoved deeply in his pockets, watching the young girls and boys run around kicking a ball. He looked to be in his early twenties, with chocolate brown hair tied back in a small ponytail and kind brown eyes the exact same color as his hair. He was wearing dark blue jeans , a gray sweatshirt, and a large, dark green jacket. A strange scar crossed the bridge of his nose.**

**The man turned to his right to see another man approaching. This man had silver hair, but he was obviously young although he appeared to be at least two years older than the one with the green jacket.**

"**Hello there, Iruka. Didn't think I'd find you out here." the silver-haired man said.**

**He crossed in front of Iruka and sat down next to him.**

"**Hello, Kakashi. What brings you to the playground?"**

"**Meh. Boredom." the older man said.**

**The man with the scar on his nose suddenly turned a brilliant shade of pink as his friend pulled out a small, orange-colored book and flipped it open. The cover held a picture of a curvy women in an impossibly small red dress clutching the arm of a man wearing a suit and tie.**

"**Kakashi!!" the man hissed, trying to snatch the book away even as Kakashi held it up beyond his reach. "You can't read that here. This a park! There are children!!"**

"**I doubt any of these little brats can even read. And besides...I never said I was reading..." Kakashi said with a strange grin on his face.**

"**You mean that's-!" Iruka started but was cut off by a hand over his mouth.**

"**So. How is life?"**

**Iruka was thrown off by the sudden question. With a sigh, he let his hand fall in his lap and stared at the ground, a mixture of emotions written on his face. Kakashi saw this and put his book away. He knew the answer almost immediately. Whenever his friend looked like that, it was a sure sign that something was wrong.**

"**I had to visit a foster home yesterday...check on two of the children the system recently placed. One of them, Tobias, is having some problems adjusting. The parents are really good people, but they say that he just won't listen. Sometimes he isolates himself in his room...doesn't let anyone in. I don't think its going to work out even though they said they'd keep trying." Iruka finished.**

"**Hey, it's alright. You know, it takes a very special person to be a social worker, Iruka. Frankly, I don't see how you can do it. You put yourself in danger almost every day. Meanwhile, the most danger I ever have at my office is trying to make sure the paper shredder doesn't eat my fingers."**

**This brought a smile to Iruka's face. Kakashi chuckled and grinned as well.**

"**Thank you. It means a lot to me." Iruka turned, knowing his friend was right, and watched the children play again.**

**The two companions sat in silence and watched as a group of little boys and girls chased a soccer ball around the yard. Eventually, Iruka started up a conversation again. They talked amiably about many things; the weather, jobs, money troubles, housing, and ridiculous television commercials were just a few of them. Somehow their conversation ended and they watched in the silence again.**

**Kakashi watched Iruka with a smile on his face. He knew that many times the man tended to be so hard on himself. He put his heart and soul on the line every day to do what he loved most: helping children. It was a shame to think that Iruka could never have children of his own. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Iruka did want to have a child of his own some day, but, for that, he needed to find a special someone. **

**_'Iruka.' _he thought. _'If you only knew how special you were to me. If you knew how I felt about you...would you feel the same way?'_**

**He took out his little orange novel again and began to read, but when Iruka didn't notice, he raised an eyebrow and stared, waiting for a reaction.**

"**I'll be right back." the younger man said quite abruptly. He stood up and walked out into the playground.**

**_'Something must have caught his eye. Oh well...Its probably something he'd be better handling anyways.' _Kakashi reasoned. He returned his attention to the book in his hand.**

**Iruka headed in the direction of the swing set, where a lone child sat on a swing. He looked small and almost unhealthily thin for his nine years of age. Spikes of bright blond hair stuck up in all directions, giving the boy an almost angelic appearance as the sun broke free from a patch of clouds to shine its weak light over him.**

**His outfit consisted of thin blue jeans riddled with holes, a black t-shirt that hung loose on his small frame, and a much-too-large but well-worn orange jacket zipped all the way up. His sneakers were on the verge of being sandals; the soles flapped open to reveal a glimpse of dirty socks. When the child looked up at the sun, one could see that his eyes were as blue as the azure skies themselves, but filled with immense sorrow and pain.**

**The boy was alone in the park, far away from the other children, and it seemed much too cold for him to be outside on his own in just that light jacket. Snow was expected to fall that night, proving that the weather was only going to get worse. Grubby fingers reached out, grasped the metal chains of the swing, and he began pumping his feet back and forth vigorously.**

**He went higher and higher and higher still. Back and forth, back and forth. The cold air whizzed by him each time he swung forward, causing him to break out in goosebumps. He pushed the shivers aside and continued to swing. **

**An entire hour had gone by since Iruka first noticed the child out of the corner of his eye. He supposed his profession as a social worker had something to do with it. Every now and then he'd looked up from his conversation with Kakashi to check on him. Not once had the kid moved from his spot or even tried to join the other children.**

"**Hey, there. You look like you're pretty good at swinging. Mind if you show me how?" Iruka asked in the friendly voice he commonly used when he was on the job.**

**He figured a gentle approach would be best in the situation, not knowing what the child would do or say. After all, he was a stranger and most children were taught growing up not to talk to strangers. The blond stopped moving his feet, just letting them hang loosely until the weight slowed him down enough to stop.**

"**You're a grown-up already. You have parents. Why didn't they teach you?" the little boy's voice came out cold and flat.**

**Iruka was genuinely surprised at the amount of raw bitterness in his voice. Never in all of his seven years as a social worker had he ever seen a child as young as him so jaded before. The boy's words struck a nerve though he tried not to show it.**

"**Well, actually...You know, my parents died when I was little. A bit younger than you, I bet." Iruka replied.**

**_'What I want to do now is see where his fear level is at and what his comfort zone is. If I can earn his trust, maybe he'll answer my questions.'_**

"**Not everyone was born lucky." the kid replied, slowly starting to swing again.**

"**And what do you mean by that. Where are your parents?"**

**For the first time, the child's gaze met Iruka's. He could see that his eyes were a deep blue, like the sky, but inside they held nothing but walls and mental guards. They reminded him of chips of ice.**

"**It depends on what you call a parent. Is it someone who keeps you warm when you are cold? Someone who punishes you when you've been bad? Someone who reads you a story at night before bed and tucks you in and takes you to play at the park. Is a parent someone who says they love you? Does a parent ever leave you?"**

**_'Well. He's looking directly at me, so he isn't too afraid of close contact. What did he mean by the last question?'_**

"**You named all the things that a good parent does. I'm afraid I don't understand your last question, though."**

"**Does a good parent ever leave you? When they die, and they go to wherever they go, do their spirits watch over you and keep you safe?"**

"**Well..." Iruka wasn't sure how to answer the question. He was rather surprised that the boy he was talking to looked no older than ten at the most was so casually asking a question about something like death. It seemed too morbid for a child so young to talk about.**

"**A good parent would watch over you, even when they aren't here with you. Is that what your parents are doing? Are they watching you from Heaven?" **

"**..." silence was all that Iruka received as a reply.**

"**Do you have anything to eat?" he said, dodging the question effectively while he jumped off the swing set.**

**Now that he was closer, Iruka could see that the boy was absolutely filthy. His hair was messily clumped while a few stray ends fell down over his forehead. A large streak of dirt stretched across both of his cheeks and his jacket was stained with it as well. He was also very thin. Too thin for Iruka's taste. The black shirt looked like it could have been a small and still hung quite loosely on his frame.**

"**I don't have anything with me right now, but it is getting dark. Will someone come to pick you up soon?"**

"**Yes." the boy replied softly, shoving his hands deep into his jacket pockets.**

**Iruka was slightly confused by the answer, but made sure to maintain a smile. He was well aware that his previous question about the boy's parents had been avoided, but he didn't want to say anything that might damage the fragile bond between himself and the child.**

"**Well then. How about if I stay here until they come to pick you up?" **

"**No. It's okay. It won't be much longer."**

**Iruka nodded but sat down on the swing set beside the boy anyway. _'So he does have a guardian. I want to meet with them and see why they left there kid here all alone. How long has he been sitting here at the park.'_**

"**So...what's your name?"**

**He really didn't want to leave the child at the park by himself. He was way too young to be out alone, but something told him that this was nothing new for the kid.**

"**He-he. I'm Naruto. What's your name?" Naruto laughed and wriggled in the seat.**

"**Hello there, Naruto. My name is Mr. Umino, but you can call me Iruka, okay?"**

"**Okay, Iruka. It was nice meeting you...I hope that we can talk soon again. You know. I'll probably be here tomorrow to! Will you be here too? Maybe we can play on the swings together!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully.**

**Iruka blinked. The change in the boy's demeanor was sudden. One moment he was evasive and the next he was bright and cheerful.**

"**Sure."**

**He left the child at the swing set and walked back over to where Kakashi was sitting. The older man looked at him questioningly, waiting for an explanation. He couldn't help but give a chuckle. Helping people was in his nature, and having grown up an orphan himself for nearly half of his life, it gave him the ability to connect with other children who had problems.**

"**He was lonely, so I thought I'd see if he was alright. Now will you put that filthy book away?!"**

"**And how would you know the contents are dirty if you've never read it before, hmmm?" Kakashi asked as he flipped another page.**

**Iruka turned a bright shade of pink and Kakashi laughed. _'Its so easy to make him blush. He-he. I wonder if he knows how cute he looks when he blushes.'_**

"**N-n-nevermind that!" he shouted, angry at Kakashi's implications. "I want to stay here until someone comes to pick him up. I will be honest with you. I don't think he has a home." he finished softly.**

"**I'll stay here with you then. Its not like I have work today anyways. Highways into town are mostly iced over." **

**Kakashi continued to read his book while Iruka sat silently, torn between sorrow for the dirty, lonely little boy on the swings and slight frustration at Kakashi's childish antics. _'I know you're doing this on purpose, Kakashi, to cheer me up...'_**

"**And it's working too." he admitted under his breath.**

"**Excuse me? What's working? Is it a good thing?" Kakashi questioned over the top of his book.**

**Iruka burst out laughing while Kakashi watched with a bemused expression on his face. He laughed so hard tears were rolling down his cheeks. Coughing, he wiped them away and sat up, only to find himself face to face with a blond-haired boy.**

"**Naruto?"**

**The child looked up at him with wide blue eyes, brimming with tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks.**

"**I'm sorry...Mr. Umino...but...I-I k-k-kind of l-lied t-t-to you. Sopleasedon'ytbemadeI'msorry!" the little boy said the last part quickly and dropped to the ground as if expecting to be hit.**

**Iruka looked down at the small child curled up into a ball defensively and sobbing quite loudly. His heart ached with deep sorrow for the blond-haired boy.**

"**Naruto. I'm not mad and I'm not going to hurt you." he said as he gently scooped Naruto into his arms.**

**He was shocked at how light the child was. He hardly weighed anything, and what was worse was the trembles that shook his small, thin frame. _'Is he getting sick from being out here in the cold for so long?'_**

"**Shhhh. Naruto. Its okay. I promise I'm not to hurt you. Its okay. Its okay." Iruka cradled the boy in his arms, trying to comfort him.**

"**I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry." Naruto repeated over and over again.**

**He brought his knees to his chest and pushed himself against Iruka's chest, trying to get as close to the warmth as he could. He was still shaking, but at least he had stopped crying. **

**Kakashi watched as Iruka tended to the small child in his lap. _'He has always been good with children. Is this what he deals with every day at work?'_**

"**I'm sorry..."Naruto sniffed into the folds of Iruka's jacket.**

**Two cerulean eyes looked up at Iruka, slightly unfocused and over bright. Concerned, he placed a hand on the little boy's forehead to check his temperature. **

"**Kakashi. Naruto has a very high temperature right now. We need to get him someplace warm and dry. There's no telling how long he's been out here like this."**

**The silver-haired man let himself be commandeered by Iruka's stern voice. It was ridiculous to argue with him, he already knew that. Without so much as a protest, he led his friend to a parked car on the opposite side of the street and began to drive.**

**Several minutes later, thanks to a few broken speed limits and several ignored stop lights despite the icy weather, the trio arrived at Kakashi's home. The moment they walked in the door, Iruka handed the now-sleeping Naruto to his friend and began to give orders.**

"**Kakashi. Please go start a bath. Make sure the water is nice and warm, but not too hot. I'll go get some blankets from the closet and set up a bed on the couch."**

**With a sigh, he set off to do as he was told. He couldn't help but feel that Iruka was letting his emotions get the best of him. However, he knew that his friend was going to have to calm down and unwind as his own pace. Nothing Kakashi said would change his mind so there was nothing left for him to do except what he was told.**

**He shifted Naruto until he was only being held with one arm and used his other to open the bathroom door. He retrieved a bath towel from a shelf from the closet and, spotting a shirt, decided to grab it as well. The kid would need something to wear after he was finished with his bath, and as for the clothes he wore currently, they could be tossed. There was no telling how old they were or how long he'd been wearing them.**

**Kakashi plugged the stopper into the bath drain and turned on the water. He tested the water's temperature by putting a few drops on his wrist. Perfect. He was a little uneasy about undressing Naruto though. '_What if he wakes up and thinks something bad is happening to him? What if he's been raped or abused or something and...?'_**

"**Damn it, Kakashi. Get a grip. Quit being so paranoid!! He's just a kid. He's just a kid." he admonished himself.**

**Sighing again, he laid the kid gently on the floor and unzipped his orange jacket. He held up Naruto's body with one hand so he could pull it off, but stopped when he felt something strange. Rubbing it carefully, he ran his hand over what felt like an indent. He pushed the jacket aside and carefully slid Naruto's shirt up.**

"**Holy fucking shit." the words were out of Kakashi's mouth before he could stop them. "Iruka!" he called loudly. "Get over here and take a look at this!"**

**Alright everyone. I end this chapter there. If I continued, no one would review and want more. The next update will more than likely be delayed. This idea has been sitting in my brain for a while, and I kept toying with the idea of making Iruka a social worker. I mean, he is really good with kids in the anime so I figured, why not? Ya know. I hope for some feed-back on this. I really want to know what you guys all think.**


	2. Warmth

**Wow...What a great response to my first chapter. This is definitely easier to write about than my other fan fictions because I don't have to know any jutsu or ninja battles or anything. It is so much more fun to write too, which is why I'm working on the second chapter now. Yeah! I own a big thank you to: Lotus.Under.Thorns, mav-tay, Kakashi-chanu, Yue White Eye, trish, Ryo Yuriko, Chantel, DeathNoteMaker, and Cerise Anouk. You all are awesome!!**

**Disclaimer. Naruto and all other characters are licensed to Masashi Kishimoto. I only wish I owned them. **

**Last time: **

**Kakashi plugged the stopper into the bath drain and turned on the water. He tested the water's temperature by putting a few drops on his wrist. Perfect. He was a little uneasy about undressing Naruto though. What if he woke up and thought something bad was happening to him? What if he'd been raped or something and...?**

"**Damn it, Kakashi. Get a grip. Quit being so paranoid!! He's just a kid. He's just a kid." he admonished himself.**

**Sighing again, he laid the kid gently on the floor and unzipped his orange jacket. He held up Naruto's body with one hand so he could pull it off, but stopped when he felt something strange. Rubbing it carefully, he ran his hand over what felt like an indent. He pushed the jacket aside and carefully slid Naruto's shirt up.**

"**Holy fucking shit." the words were out of Kakashi's mouth before he could stop them. "Iruka!" he called loudly. "Get over here and take a look at this!"**

**Chapter 2. Warmth**

"**What? What is it?" Iruka asked as he came running into the bathroom.**

**He was greeted with the sight of Kakashi pulling up Naruto's shirt to expose his back. A gasp escaped from his throat. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.**

**Most of the skin on Naruto's lower back was one big, nasty-looking scab. Blood and dirt had crusted up over the wound; the body's own attempt to heal itself. There was a small amount of pale scar tissue circling around it where the skin had already grown back. What Kakashi had accidentally felt beneath the thin black T-shirt was actually a deep, indented scar several inches wide that started at the top of Naruto's left shoulder and crossed down to the middle of his back.**

"**What in the seven hells happened to this kid, Iruka?" Kakashi's voice came out strangled.**

**Just then, Naruto woke up. He tried desperately to get away from the person who was gripping his arm, jerking his body away from the contact. Naruto turned around to face his "attacker" and pounced on Kakashi. He clawed at his shirt like an angry cat several times before launching a swift punch that landed painfully in his gut. Kakashi immediately released Naruto, who then crawled over to a corner of the room.**

"**What do you want me to do?" he mouthed silently to Iruka, massaging the assaulted area. _'Damn...he hits pretty hard for a kid. I think that might bruise in a day or two.'_**

"**Naruto. It's alright. It's me, Iruka." Iruka made his voice gentle as he approached Naruto.**

**Naruto slowly moved his hands away from his face, revealing a pair of bright blue eyes wide with fear. **

"**No...Daddy, no. IpromiseIwon'tdoiteveragain.I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry. Daddy, no. No, no. Please. I'll begoodthistime.Please!!!" the little boy cried out between broken sobs.**

**Iruka spoke again, calling Naruto's name softly. He seemed to calm down, blinking hastily several times and squinting his eyes at the chocolate haired man. It looked like he was confusing someone else's image with Iruka's own. Finally he seemed to recognize the man as the same one who had talked to him at the park.**

"**Mr...Umino?" he asked softly after several minutes.**

**Iruka wanted to tell him that it was fine to just call him by his name, but didn't, fearing that it would seem confrontational to the boy. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Naruto. He was already terrified as it was.**

"**Naruto...I'm sorry if I...uh...scared you. I should have told you what I was going to do but you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you." Kakashi apologized hesitantly.**

**He sat himself down on the ground and winced involuntarily as pain began to radiate around the injury. Rubbing the now tender area, he began to speak.**

"**You know. You hit pretty hard for a kid. By the way, my name is Mr. Hatake," he said, making a face. It sounded weird to be addressing himself so formally. ",but Kakashi will do just find." he finished with a chuckle.**

**Naruto frowned and started to move out of the corner, but flinched back. Iruka watched as the boy mentally battled his conflicting emotions. He could see that Naruto wanted to go to Kakashi, but pure, unadulterated fear held him back like a prisoner shackled to the ground. Slowly, ever so slowly, he stood up and put one foot in front of the other. **

"**If you don't like me, thats okay with me, but my friend here wants to give you a bath and get you all cleaned up." Kakashi said warmly, pointing to Iruka.**

**Gaining confidence from the kind voice, Naruto took two quick steps forward and tackled Kakashi, sending him to the floor with a crash. Kakashi emitted a surprised squeak that Iruka couldn't help but laugh at.**

"**What are you doing, Naruto?" he asked, raising his head up off the floor just enough to see the little boy spread out on top of him.**

**Naruto said nothing but carefully pushed up Kakashi jacket with one hand, mindful of the injuries he'd given to the man earlier. He stared morosely at the angry red welts on the pale skin of his stomach. The area was also slightly darker than the surrounding area, the faint hints of a bruise already visible. **

**Iruka watched with a confused expression as Naruto bent down to the area and lightly pressed his lips against the sore area, kissing it. Kakashi's breath hitched in his chest, not expecting the sudden coldness.**

"**I'm sorry. Naruto make it better?" the boy asked, tilting his head cutely to one side. He turned his bright blue eyes to Kakashi's black ones, pleading silently for forgiveness.**

"**It's alright, Naruto. It doesn't hurt anymore." Kakashi said, sitting up.**

"**Naruto. Do you want to take a bath by yourself?" Iruka asked, picking the boy up gently.**

"**Yes..?" he answered at first, then shook his head. "No...?"**

**_'He sounds like he has no idea what a bath is. I guess that's a no then.' _the younger man thought as he carried Naruto into the bathroom. He was shaken from his thoughts as Naruto let out a blood-curdling scream and attempted to climb up his shoulder.**

"**NO!" Naruto yelled as he wound his limbs around Iruka's right arm, very nearly cutting off the circulation.**

"**Naruto." he started.**

"**NO!" the boy screeched as he clung even tighter, if possible, to the arm.**

"**You have to take a bath and get all cleaned up. You're dirty."**

"**NO!"**

"**Yes, Naruto."**

"**NO!"**

"**Yes."**

"**NO!"**

"**Yes."**

"**NO! NO! NO!"**

"**Naruto." Iruka said sternly, causing the boy clamped on his shoulder to release his death grip and slide down his arm. He dropped to the floor, caught his balance, and looked down at the floor.**

"**Okay." he agreed so softly it was hard to hear him.**

**Outside the bathroom, Kakashi stood up and brushed himself off, tugging his jacket back down over his stomach. _'That was...odd. I don't think I want to stick around though. I'll go get some blankets and set them up on the couch. I doubt Iruka even had the chance to get any the way Naruto screamed.' _He edged away from the door and went off to finish his mental checklist.**

**_'Maybe I should make some food or something. I bet Naruto is probably starving. What do kids like to eat? I'll find out from Iruka. He probably knows better than I do.'_**

**His stomach growled loudly as if to reply to his thoughts.**

"**Yeah...Guess I better make something." he spoke to himself as he grabbed a couple of thick blankets from a closet.**

**He dumped the pile onto the couch, eyes catching sight of the darkened streets beyond his window. Lithium street-lamps cast fuzzy orbs of light onto the concrete sidewalks beneath them. It was a cold night, temperatures expecting to drop below the thirties. Overhead, dark gray clouds huddled together to block out the night sky. It was definitely going to snow.**

"**There isn't any way Iruka will be able to get home in this weather. Anyone would be crazy to drive in weather like this." he murmured to the window.**

**His breath fogged up the glass. Feeling quite childish, he drew a smiley face on the surface before the steam could fade away. He stood back, drew the curtains over the window, and went to turn the heat up higher, having just remembered that Iruka strongly disliked the cold. A small smile flitted across his face. He curled up on the couch, feeling a little chilly himself, and threw a blanket over his shoulders.**

**Iruka couldn't help but wince as Naruto bent over and tugged his shirt off with both hands. The bloody wound contrasted vividly with the rest of the boy's otherwise light skin. He proceeded to sit down and tug off his sneakers and socks.**

"**Turn around." Naruto demanded, hands on his hips.**

**The chocolate-haired man, although greatly surprised by the sudden authority in Naruto's voice, complied, turning around to face the opposite wall. There was the rustling of cloth and then a few seconds later, a splash as he climbed into the tub.**

"**Okay. Are you in? Can I turn around now?" Iruka asked after it sounded like Naruto was completely in the tub. He didn't want to risk setting off the child again; his poor arm was still slightly sore from the death grip it'd been the victim of.**

**He wasn't really expecting Naruto to say yes, but he actually agreed quite cheerfully. He turned to see that Naruto was sitting in the tub cross-legged with a grin on his face.**

"**I did it!" he declared proudly as if he'd accomplished some heroic feat by stepping into a tub full of bubbles and lukewarm water.**

**_'Wait a minute...Bubbles? Where did those come from? I don't have any bubble bath mix so Kakashi couldn't have put any in there..' _Iruka stared at the foamy white bubbles floating on top of the water.**

"**Um...Naruto? Where did you find stuff to make all those bubbles?"**

"**From the magic bottle." he replied happily while holding up an empty container which had formerly been an almost full bottle of shampoo.**

**Iruka sweat-dropped as Naruto giggled and threw an enormous handful of bubbles into the air. **

"**That's shampoo, Naruto. You poured the whole thing in there?"**

**The blond, who'd previously been joyfully poking his small fingers through the foamy white suds, turned to look at him with the most somber expression he'd ever seen.**

"**I was bad, wasn't I?" Naruto's voice shook with renewed fear.**

"**No, no. It's alright. You didn't know. You use that to wash your hair, Naruto. I'll go get you a new bottle, but don't pour any more in here. Do you want me to show you how to wash?" Iruka said quickly, hoping to sooth the frightened child before he started to cry again.**

**Naruto nodded his head happily with a smile that warmed Iruka's heart. He searched through the spacious cabinets beneath his sink, but there was no bottle to be found.**

"**Naruto. I'll be right back, okay. I have to go get some more from somewhere else. Stay in the tub."**

**Not five seconds after Iruka left the room to retrieve another bottle of shampoo, Naruto let out an ear-splitting yell. Kakashi jumped up from the couch and dashed into the bathroom. The little boy in the bath tub appeared to be only afraid, but unharmed.**

"**What is it? What's wrong?"the silver-haired man asked.**

"**It's gonna eat me!! It's...It's." Naruto broke off and screamed again while pointing at some object floating in the water.**

**Kakashi came closer to look at what had caused the child to scream and nearly fell flat on his face when he saw what it was. Naruto was screaming at...a washcloth that had slipped off the edge of the bathtub. **

**Just then Iruka ran into the room, an unopened bottle of shampoo in his hand. He broke the seal and then handed it to Naruto, who then stared at the container with his head tilted sideways.**

"**Bubble bath?" he questioned hopefully, all previous traces of fear gone.**

"**Naruto." Iruka started firmly. "You can not scream every time I leave for a few minutes. Please apologize to my friend here. You really scared him."**

"**I'm sorry." Naruto said.**

**He scooped up a mountain of white foam using his hands as a shovel, and, bringing them to his mouth, blew hard. A flurry of tiny white bubbles were sent spiraling into the air at Kakashi and Iruka. He giggled brightly as Kakashi broke into a fit of laughter. It was just too much to much for him to take witnessing his friend's face as it was covered by bubbles.**

**Iruka wiped them off his face and laughed as well, that was, until he slipped on the wet floor. He flew back and probably would have seen stars for days to follow if Kakashi hadn't caught him. Of course, with the added weight at the angle they were at, Kakashi lost his balance and fell. It ended up with them landing in a very...awkward position. **

**Iruka was sitting on top of Kakashi, a leg on either side, straddling his stomach, while Kakashi was pinned down on the floor by his weight. As though kami had decided to grant him a reprieve for the injuries he'd taken within the last several hours, although maybe it was simply sheer luck, Kakashi was provided with a very nice view of Iruka's butt as it was currently about three or four inches away from his face.**

**For the moment, everything was absolutely quiet. No one spoke a word. Even the bubbles decided to pop without noise, though generally they always did that. Eventually Kakashi broke the silence by saying:**

"**Hello, Iruka's butt. How's the weather down here? Quite nice, don't you think?"**

**At that, Iruka blushed the deepest shade of red Kakashi had ever seen, Naruto burst into the loudest laughter anyone had heard from him yet, and Kakashi was, at the time being, the happiest person in the world.**

"**Ah...Kakashi. I'm sorry." **

**Iruka was still pink with embarrassment even as he stood up and pulled his friend to his feet.**

"**No need to be sorry. I'm only glad..." he broke off as he suddenly clutched his eye. Holding it with one hand, he faced Iruka and smiled. "I...uh...think your elbow might have hit me in the eye on the way down."**

"**Naruto. Put a little shampoo in your hand and wash your hair. Make sure to rinse out all suds and use that little square – its called soap – to wash your body. There is a towel right here." Iruka pointed to the toilet where a fresh towel sat neatly folded on top of the lid. "Dry yourself off and put the shirt on. Wear your old underwear until I can get you some new pairs. I am not leaving. I will be inside the room next to this one." Iruka stated the instructions clearly and turned to his injured friend.**

**Iruka helped Kakashi, who was still holding his eye, out into the bed room. It looked quite ridiculous because he wasn't as tall as the older man was and Kakashi had to hunch over to avoid forcing Iruka to stand on tip-toes.**

"**Sit here. I'll go get you some ice, Kakashi."**

**The younger man left Kakashi sitting up on his bed while he went to the kitchen to get some ice. He returned a few seconds later with a zip-lock baggie wrapped in a small gray kitchen towel.**

"**Here." he held it out.**

"**Iruka. I'm fine, really. It's not that bad." Kakashi said as he pushed the bag away.**

"**Then let me see your eye. I could have injured something."**

"**No. It's fine. Besides. I got to see your ass close up. If I can't see out of this eye any more, I want the last thing it sees to be your butt, not your hand poking it to check if my eyeball still works."**

"**uh...I-I..." Iruka turned red and looked away.**

**Kakashi frowned and let his hands fall to his side. _'Oh shit...I just said something wrong. You stupid idiot. You just couldn't be satisfied knowing that you liked him. You just have to know if he feels the same way. I mean, there is no way...'_**

"**Iruka...I'm sorry. That comment...it was completely out of line. I shouldn't have said something like that at a time like this...Please forgive me, although I will understand if you're mad at me." Kakashi studied the designs on the bedspread while he spoke.**

"**Kakashi, you know I couldn't hold a grudge, even if I tried my hardest. It just isn't me." Iruka said as he sat down beside the silver-haired man.**

**_'So that's it, huh. He doesn't feel the same as I do...Could we ever be just friends? I think I fell in love the first time I saw him. We have so much in common...We've shared so much of our lives together...Stupid...To think that he would ever return my feelings...'_**

"**But it isn't just that..." Iruka trailed off, breaking Kakashi from his thoughts.**

"**Then what-?" Kakashi asked, heart racing.**

**He hardly dared to breath although he swore he could hear his own heart beating like thunder in his chest. _'Could he mean that...what I think he means...?'_**

**He very nearly had a heart attack when Iruka reached a hand out and touched the side of his face. Swallowing nervously, he brought his own hand around and pulled the younger man closer. He welcomed the warmth of the other man's body against his own. Nothing could ever make him feel so alive inside other than the man he was with right now.**

**His lips connected with Iruka's own in a soft, sweet kiss. Kakashi was slightly surprised when he felt the younger man's tongue trace along the bottom of his lip, asking for permission. Before he had time to realize it, his mouth was open and Iruka was slowly exploring it with deep passion. When they parted for air, both of them were breathing heavily with new-found emotions.**

"**So..."Kakashi began after several long minutes of silence dragged by. "Was that your first...?" he let the ending dangle.**

"**Yeah..." Iruka replied. He sounded like he couldn't believe they had actually just been kissing each other.**

"**Mine as well." Kakashi said, as he couldn't really think of much else to say.**

**They both looked at each other for a long time, each reading the emotion in the other's eyes. After a while, they realized that they had stopped reading and started staring, admiring the person they saw in front of them.**

"**Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Iruka asked, pulling away slightly.**

**Kakashi mentally begged Iruka to stay in his arms. He was already missing the warmth that had filled him to the very core of his being only seconds before.**

"**I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same. I would rather lose you as a lover than lose you as a friend, Iruka. I couldn't bear knowing that you never felt the same." he explained.**

"**Well, I don't think you'll ever have to worry about that any more." Iruka replied with a smile.**

**Just then he remembered about Naruto, who he'd left behind to his own devices in the bath tub. He was about to go get up, inexplicably worried that something might have happened to him, when a streak of blond and dark blue raced across the room and jumped onto the bed.**

"**All clean!" Naruto declared brightly as he crawled over and stood on the bed next to Iruka.**

**The T-shirt Iruka had picked out for him had been one of his smallest shirts, and as he expected, it was way too big for him, but he hadn't know the deficit was going to be so huge. The shirt had short sleeves, but in Naruto's case, the edges came down to just above his wrists. The bottom of the shirt came to rest on his small feet.**

"**Cold..."he said after a while and sat down on the edge of the bed, drawing his arms into the shirt and holding them to his chest.**

"**Okay, Naruto. Do you that you have a big scratch on your back?" Iruka hated to use the word scratch. It paled in comparison to the actual wound, which looked like a severe case of carpet burn.**

"**Yes...No..." Naruto answered hesitantly.**

"**Well, I need to bandage it so I can keep it clean. If you don't keep it clean then it will get infected and hurt a lot more than it does now."**

"**Doesn't hurt." Naruto said as he curled up next to Iruka.**

**The younger man sighed. The only way he would be able to dress the large scrape was if he waited until Naruto fell asleep. He didn't want to risk the child waking up while during the process.**

"**In the morning?" Iruka asked, trying to bargain with Naruto.**

"**'kay." he replied. "Sleep now? I'm not sick."**

**Kakashi and Iruka blinked, confused, but it hit what Naruto was talking about. Slightly amazed at the child's ability to recall something that had happened hours ago, he turned to Kakashi and explained.**

"**Earlier he had a fever. Now he seems to be fine. Naruto must have heard me telling you that he was sick."**

**Kakashi blinked.**

"**At the park." Iruka tried again to jog his memory.**

"**Oh, yes. That's right." the man's perplexed expression gave way to a smile.**

"**Yes, Naruto. We can sleep now."**

**Both Iruka and Kakashi felt sleepy. It had been a long, stressful day with Naruto and they were exhausted. They took turns taking a quite shower; Kakashi went first while Iruka stayed behind to keep Naruto company. He came out dressed in a soft cotton long-sleeved shirt, socks, and baggy gray sweat-pants. Iruka went in next to shower and reemerged a few minutes later in an outfit exactly the same except for the colors. He wore a navy blue shirt instead of white and pants the color of pale cream.**

**Kakashi looked at him and stared, causing Iruka to blush. He was secretly glad the room was so dark because he was sure Naruto would have asked a question about it.**

"**What?" Iruka asked.**

"**Nothing. It's just...I've never seen you without your hair in a ponytail, that's all." Kakashi chuckled as his **

"**Can we sleep now, please? I'm tired." came a voice from under the covers.**

**While Iruka had been busy taking a shower, Naruto had run out and came back several minutes later with a huge pile of blankets. He'd laid them on the bed, one after the other, and then crawled under the sheets so that he was sleeping beneath all of the layers of blankets.**

"**Yes, Naruto."**

**Kakashi flicked off the bathroom lights, decided against it in case Naruto woke up and needed to go, and flipped over the covers. Iruka quickly rolled into bed and scooted over to make more room. Kakashi slipped in behind him. He was now sandwiched between the man behind him and the little boy in front of him. The only sound besides breathing was a faint rustle of bedclothes as Naruto shifted so he was curled up tightly next to Iruka's chest. After he was sure the child was asleep he spoke.**

"**Kakashi?" he whispered in the darkness, turning his head slightly so he could see him.**

"**Yes. What is it?" the silver-haired man asked quietly back.**

**There was a few moments of silence, what sounded like an embarrassed laugh, and then:**

"**Why do you have a king-sized bed?"**

**Kakashi shook with silent laughter, clamping a hand over his mouth to prevent any noise from escaping. It took him a while to calm down since every time he managed to catch his breath, he would remember the question and break into another fit of sniggers.**

"**Because." he said, removing his hand and placing it around Iruka's waist, pulling him closer.**

**He stiffened at the sudden contact but quickly relaxed as Kakashi slipped his hand under the shirt and lazily began tracing a finger over his abs.**

"**It's a luxery I can afford...and all the better for me to share it with you."**

**The two pressed their bodies closer together, relishing in the warmth they shared with each other. Iruka further relaxed at Kakashi's soft, steady touch and drifted off to sleep. Kakashi smiled in the darkness, feeling the painful hole in his heart close up at last. _'I have someone to love now. Someone who loves me back. Someone who I can be with for the rest of my life.'_**

**Naruto yawned in his sleep and moved closer to Iruka's chest, still curled up in a ball.**

**_'Make that two someones.' _Kakashi thought before closing his own eyes, one arm still draped around his new-found lover.**

**OMG, I think I deserve extra reviews for cuteness. I mean... all that FLUFF!!...If I hadn't ended it here I don't think I ever would have. Hard to believe I typed this in a few hours. Like I said, it is so much easier to write this. Don't think there won't be turmoil in this fan fic later on. I will get to the next chapter ASAP, but worsening weather conditions might foil my plans. Anyways, stay safe and drive carefully. -Bottlecaps**


	3. Snow

**Alright! I received so many positive reviews it encouraged me to finish this chapter quickly and post it up. Oh yeah, and for all those who think this is gonna be a simple, sweet fanfic with no real drama...think again!! All things in good time...he-he-he. I shall hook you all to this story and make you beg for more. Ha-ha-ha. /coughs and straightens up/ Anywho, hope ya'll enjoy this chappie. One last thing before I began this story. A big thank you goes out to all my wonderful readers and reviewers for taking the time to comment. I couldn't have gotten anywhere without your support.**

**Chapter 3. Snow**

**All was silent in Kakashi's house. Inside the bedroom, Kakashi slept silently, one arm sloppily curled around Iruka in a protective embrace. The older man was pressed up against him from behind and their two bodies shared the warmth provided by each other. The only one stirring at all was Naruto, whose little form twitched and turned in the throes of a nightmare. Outside of the large room the small phosphorescent lights of the kitchen microwave has just changed to three-o-clock when he woke up screaming.**

"**Naruto? What is it?!" Iruka asked, startled into waking, voice combined with panic and sleepiness.**

**He sat up swiftly, causing Kakashi's arm to slip, and drew the distraught boy closer to him. _'Judging from the tears rolling down his cheeks he must have had one hell of a nightmare.'_**

"**It's okay, Naruto. It's okay."**

"**Wait...wha? Wha's goin' on?" Kakashi asked, voice slurred heavily with sleep. **

**Rubbing his tired eyes distractedly, he neglected to notice he was a lot closer to the edge of the bed than he thought. Before he could grab anything, he slipped off the bed and landed with a muffled thud on the soft gray carpet.**

**Naruto saw this and burst into peals of laughter, earning an odd look from Iruka. When Kakashi's head popped up from the floor Naruto started laughing even harder. Kakashi raised a questioning eyebrow at his boyfriend, who, much to his dismay, was cracking a grin.**

"**What? What is it?" he asked while thinking _'Wow...that was odd. Tears at one moment and all laughter the next. This kid's mood is so unpredictable.'_**

**Naruto giggled again while pointing at Kakashi...or rather...Kakashi's hair. He understood the message clearly. In the middle of the night, he had fallen victim to one of a teenage girl's worst nightmare - bed head.**

**He immediately reached up to try and fix his hair, but silver-colored locks stuck up stubbornly in all directions on one side of his head while the other side was flat from resting against the pillow. Nothing he did seemed to help. In fact, Naruto and Iruka both silently agreed that it was only making his hair worse.**

"**Alright, alright. Give it up already." Kakashi declared in frustration, giving his hair one last quick run-through with his fingers. **

**Naruto quieted down and settled for hiding his giggles behind small pale hands. He suddenly seemed to remember his dream because he cried out before latching himself onto Iruka's arm. Tears flooded his cheeks, retracing their paths from earlier.**

"**...wasn't my fault...wasn't...my fault...I'm sorry...I didn't...I DIDN'T!!" he shrieked at last, releasing Iruka to claw at himself.**

"**Naruto! Naruto!" the brown-eyed man called loudly as he gripped the child's shoulders.**

**Naruto's normally bright blue eyes were glazed over, dulled by confusion and fear. It was as if he didn't even recognize the man who had taken him in just the other day. Iruka began to panic a bit when the child started hyperventilating. He wrested away from his grasp and continued to claw at himself, dragging his fingernails down his arms.**

"**Naruto." Kakashi said, having appeared behind the little boy and quickly restrained him, gently but firmly holding Naruto's hands behind his back so he couldn't do any more damage.**

"**...I didn't...I-I wasn't...it wasn't me...it wasn't...wasn't...no..." the blond repeated over and over again slowly, the last part coming out in a sort of defeated sigh.**

**His thin frame stopped shaking and slumped down further in Kakashi's hold, looking smaller than ever.**

"**..I didn't...k-kill...her..." were Naruto's last words before he collapsed, unconscious, against the older man.**

"**Naruto!" Iruka shouted, panicking.**

**Kakashi stood with the boy in his arms and proceeded to carry him to the bed in a manner so calm it was eerie. Iruka looked on helplessly as his boyfriend went into the bathroom, came out with a box in his hands, and then proceeded to dress the scratches on Naruto's arms.**

"**Kakashi." he said at last, watching as the man settled Naruto into the bed.**

**He walked over and pulled Iruka into a gentle hug, rubbing his back in small, soothing circles with one hand.**

"**He'll be okay, Iruka. He's just afraid. Very afraid." **

**Iruka took comfort in Kakashi's words and slowly closed his eyes, enjoying the closeness. He leaned against him, letting his head rest against the older man's chest and breathing in the heady scent of something...cologne maybe. Yawning softly, he felt himself growing heavier and heavier. The last thing he thought before he fell asleep was _'Kakashi...you'd make a good bed to lie on.' _and he swore he could hear Kakashi chuckling.**

**_'Did I say that out loud?' _Iruka asked himself sleepily.**

**Kakashi stood perfectly still until he was absolutely positive that Iruka was asleep. He scooped him up bridal style, quite surprised at how light he seemed. The man wasn't a featherweight, at least not by his standards, but he probably weighed no more than 140 pounds at the most. Factoring in his age, build, and height. Iruka was actually quite slender for his twenty-two years.**

**He deposited Iruka on the couch before leaving briefly and returned a few minutes later with a pillow and blankets in hand. Draping one blanket around the sleeping man, he then wrapped the other around himself and plopped himself on the opposite side of the couch.**

**_'I think it'd be best if Naruto sleeps by himself. If he wakes up and has another episode like that, there is no telling what he might do. The door's still open, so we'll hear him if anything happens.' _**

**As soon as his head hit the pillow he was asleep again, having wonderful mixed dreams about Iruka and his little orange novel. When he woke up what seemed like such a short time later, he decided to remain awake for the day.**

**_'It's only six- something-or-other. I wish I could go back to bed...'_**

**Knowing full well he would be unable to fall asleep again, he dressed in a clean pair of well-worn blue jeans, a form-fitting black shirt, a white shirt with long baggy sleeves over that hung down over the edge of the black one, and a soft navy cotton sweatshirt. Despite the layers of clothing, the cold in the house still bit through enough to make him shiver.**

**Kakashi started the coffee maker and waited patiently for the coffee to brew. Once he had enough to fill his cup, he poured in a small amount of sugar and stirred. He took his drink outside without bothering to slip on his coat.**

**As he had expected, the blizzard had hit Konoha City hard and left disaster in its wake. From the shelter of the porch he could see the icicles hanging from all of the near-by power lines. Most of the plants were buried by a deep layer of snow that had fallen overnight. A white orb in the sky shone down on the otherwise darkened city; the moon's light reflected on the clear surface of the road in front of his yard.**

"**Black ice. That's never a good sign. I'm surprised we haven't lost power yet." Kakashi said, looking out over the glittering streets.**

**A sip of the hot brew in his cup did little to warm him. He wrapped his hands around the steaming mug but even the heat from the freshly poured coffee wasn't enough to make the numbness in his hands go away.**

**He took another sip and let the steam from the cup waft up into his face, bringing with it the wonderful aroma of coffee. **

"**Naruto's persona is so unpredictable...And not just that... its so unstable. What the hell happened to that kid to make him act so...violently towards himself?" Kakashi asked to no one as he gazed at the cloudy veil over the night sky.**

**Through a hole in the clouds he could see a large crystal ring encircling the moon. It was a wonderful sight, but the captivating image was soon blotted from the sky by thick clouds heavy with snow.**

"**Ice crystals and dust...whoever would have thought it could look so beautiful up in space."**

**He finished his quickly-cooling coffee and set the empty mug down on the iced-over porch railing with a clink. Now his hands were freezing, as were his ears and nose. He stuffed his hands into his pockets to warm them.**

"**Naruto said...that he didn't kill 'her.' Whoever she is...He blames himself for someone he lost that was close to him. He could be talking about his mother. No matter how unfortunate the circumstances may be, no matter how he got to where he is now...he had parents when he was born...What happened to them remains a mystery unless Naruto tells us."**

**Kakashi continued to mull in his thoughts out loud, running them off of logic and common sense. Of course, he also had his own memories to remind him of his darker times in life. With slight difficulty, he lifted his right sleeve just past the elbow to reveal a row of three raised scars. They stood out vividly against the otherwise pale skin of his forearm._'Reminders of the past...Like I need any reminders.' _he thought contemptuously.**

**The scars were old, almost as old as he was. He had been only seven years old when he had received those raised lines on his arm. More often than not he hated the markings; they did nothing except remind of him and his father's occasional drunken rage. But sometimes he loved them because they really were the only thing he had left of the man.**

**_Flashback..._**

_**Kakashi ran down the little path to his house and shut the door behind him quickly to block out the taunting voices of the children. It wasn't his fault he had silver hair and black eyes. The doctors had stated that these two factors were due to a strange genetic mutation of a rare form of albinism. His type of albinism hadn't even been given a name yet, but some of the top researchers were hesitant to call it albinism at all because it lacked most of the defining features of this genetic mutation.**_

_**Rather than white hair or even pale blond hair, his was silver, and in place of the usual violet irises associated with albinism, there were black. And the vision problems that normally occur with the condition were non-existent in his case. In fact, Kakashi's sight was actually enhanced. He had excellent vision. 20/5 to be exact.**_

_**However, none of the children at school seemed to care about it at all. They didn't care about what medical conditions he had or what doctors and researchers had to say. All they knew was that Kakashi was different from the rest of them. He wasn't like the children and he didn't fit in, so he was constantly teased about his appearance.**_

_**Wiping the tears from his eyes before they could fall, he let his backpack slide off his shoulders to the floor.**_

"_**Dad?" he called out in the empty hallway.**_

"_**'kashi...thash you?" **_

_**Kakashi turned against the direction that the slurred voice was coming from. He knew what it meant...that his father was drinking, drunk, or drunk and drinking.**_

"_**I've got homework , Dad. I'll make dinner later, 'kay." he started up to his room.**_

_**He didn't want to be around his father when he was drunk. The sickly sweet stench of spilled alcohol and the sour odor of vomit was something he just could not stomach...and the entire house smelled like it except for his room. It was the only room in the place where he could escape from everything if he needed to. His mother wasn't around at all...he could barely remember the details of the funeral 4 years ago, when he was only three years old.**_

"_**Com're son and shay hi to your fatherrrr. Nowsh." came the voice.**_

_**Kakashi winced at the sound of glass shattering on the floor He sighed deeply. His father was one of those people who ended up in an even sorrier state when they were drunk, but on occasions his temper exploded, and that's where it sounded like it was going now.**_

"_**I told you I have homework , Dad." he explained as he slowly walked into the living room.**_

_**He moved slowly, eyes watching guardedly for any sign of anger. He was so busy paying attention to the foul-smelling vomit on the floor next to the couch that he didn't notice when the broken neck of a glass bottle came flying at him from no where. Instinctively he raised his arms over his face, but that wasn't enough to block out the pain.**_

_**He let out a piercing scream as sharp glass dragged across his right arm, tearing easily through the skin. Red rivulets of blood ran down and stained the dirty gray carpet.**_

"_**You hate me, don't youuu...Yourrr own fathersh...You hate me!!" Kakashi's father exclaimed drunkenly, crocodile tears pouring down his face.**_

_**Kakashi wanted to go over and hug the pitiful man, wanted to comfort him, but his mind was on the needle darts of pain in his arm. Without a second glance he turned and ran up to the safety of his room where he proceeded to cry out his frustration.**_

_**Later that night after he'd bandaged the scrapes as best he could, he crept quietly through the house and did what he couldn't make himself do before. He kissed his father on the cheek and returned to his room, futilely trying to rub the smell of alcohol off of his clothes.**_

_**End Flashback...**_

**Kakashi felt a light pressure on his leg and looked down to see a chibi face with messy blond hair and dark blue eyes staring back at him.**

"**Naruto." he said louder than he meant to.**

**Rather than flinching away from the man, Naruto clasped tightly onto Kakashi's leg and hugged it.**

"**What are you doing out here, Naruto? It's really cold outside. You don't have any proper clothes to wear in this type of weather."**

"**Look." he said while pointing out into the night sky with one small, bandaged hand.**

"**What?" **

**Kakashi glanced at the sky, but didn't see anything unusual. That was, until something so cold it almost burned landed on his cheek and melted . He touched the wetness and brought it before his eyes. He looked back up at the sky to see tons of little white flurries fluttering gracefully down from the sky.**

"**That's snow, Naruto." he explained as two more flakes landed on his face.**

"**Snow?" the boy tilted his head to the side questioningly.**

**He held his hand out and a little flurry landed on the tips of his fingers. It quickly melted from the heat of his skin.**

"**That's snow. You've never seen it before?"**

"**Not snow. It's water. Water's wet." Naruto said while shaking the water from his hand.**

**Kakashi stared at the boy with amusement on his face. "Well, yes, it is water. But it was snow."**

"**Water." Naruto argued.**

"**Naruto..." Kakashi said, smiling at Naruto.**

"**Snow...?" he watched the small white dots drifting down upon them. "Water...?" he said frowning.**

"**Both!" he declared gleefully, as if having solved some century-old mystery.**

**Kakashi burst out laughing as Naruto ran around the small porch and tried to catch snowflakes with his mouth. _'He looks so cute...it's strange. He's like a kid, but sometimes he seems so much older than that.'_**

**He saw Naruto wipe his nose on the baggy shirt he was wearing and decided it was time to go inside before the kid ended up getting sick.**

"**Come on, Naruto. Let's go inside. We can't have you getting sick now, can we?"**

**Kakashi headed inside with his coffee cup in one hand but paused in the door way when he didn't hear footsteps following behind him. **

"**Naruto. Let's go inside. Come on." he repeated, but there was only silence.**

**Naruto was sitting on the bottom steps of the porch, unsheltered by the roof overhead. Snow began to fall faster, dotting his little form with white specks. His thin arms wrapped around his small frame and Kakashi could see that his shoulders were shaking as he approached.**

**He sat down beside the boy but Naruto did not even turn to look at him. Instead, he was staring listlessly out into the world beyond his gate, eyes devoid of life, ignoring the cold winter wind that bit at his skin.. A tear trickled down his cheek and dropped off his chin. Naruto didn't bother to wipe it away.**

"**Naruto? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"**

**When Naruto replied, he spoke so lowly that Kakashi had to strain just to hear him.**

"**...nightmare..."**

**The silence of the night pressed heavily in against them. Naruto continued to cry although he sobbed so silently that the preternatural quiet was not broken. The moon shone its ghostly self through a thick patch of clouds overhead. It was covered up again just as quickly.**

"**Naruto?" he gently touched the child's shoulder.**

**That was all Naruto needed. He threw himself against Kakashi unsuspectingly, burrowing his small face into the older man's knees.**

"**Its okay, Naruto, its okay. You can tell me whatever you want whenever you want." Kakashi said, finally getting over his initial surprise.**

**Kakashi sat out on his steps in the cold, cloudy night and calmly stroked Naruto's back. He couldn't help but wince every time he felt the roughness of the scars through the shirt, but Naruto made no protests.**

**Both of them sat out on the porch, gazing out into the world beyond. When Kakashi felt Naruto's small body grow limp against his own he picked up the child and headed inside. The warm air surged outwards like a blast when he opened the door. He shut it swiftly to prevent the cold wind from coming in.**

"**Naruto?" Kakashi asked, but he was asleep.**

**He shifted the slight weight of the body to his other shoulder and carried him over to the couch. _'I'm staying awake for the day, so I might as well leave Naruto here with Iruka. He seems much more attached to him than to me. Time for more coffee.'_**

**Kakashi deposited Naruto on the couch, who then promptly rolled up into a ball and settled on Iruka's chest. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. They both looked so cute sleeping peacefully together like that.**

**Yawning with tiredness not yet banished by caffeine, he walked back into the kitchen and poured himself another cup of coffee. He heaped two spoonfuls of sugar and poured in creamer until the coffee was almost white.**

"**Ahhh. That really hits the spot." he said after sipping the sweet brew. He had always had a bit of a sweet tooth.**

**At that moment he realized that there was nothing he could do. It was only 7:30 according to the tiny digits on the coffee pot and work was sure to be canceled for the day. If there was black ice on the road, which there was, then most of the roads would be closed. He decided to flick on the weather channel in his room to check the forecast. **

**He held his coffee carefully in one hand as he turned on the television with the remote and flipped to the weather channel. He was just in time to catch the end.**

"**The current temperatures are not expected to lift for another two weeks. This arctic blast is by far the worst cold snap Konoha City has seen yet. The temperature will not rise above the low twenties. Snow and sleet are expected. Power outages are a major problem in urban areas as well as in the countryside. All roads are currently closed due to icy conditions. More on the weather at 9-o-clock." came the voice from the weather reporter.**

**Kakashi quickly scanned over the forecast displayed on the screen before turning it off. _'Well that settles it then. I guess I'm not going to work today. Neither is Iruka. How are we gonna get the kid proper clothes for this weather? I could walk to a near-by store. Nobody with a decent amount of sanity would be out in the snow like this.'_**

**He took another drink and set the half-empty cup down on his dresser before plopping himself down on the bed. He rolled over to face the ceiling with a half-hearted sigh. **

**_'At least I don't suffer from insomnia anymore. Now I just wake up early...I wish I could go back to sleep, ever if it was just for a little while.'_**

**As he thought this, he felt himself growing sleepy. He yanked the covers over his head and closed his eyes, drifting off into sleep while still dressed in his clothes. Naruto woke him up a short while later with small, gentle prods here and there. They were soft but incessant; the combination was enough to rouse him from his slumber.**

**Kakashi sat up, rubbed one eye blearily, and stared at the bouncing ball of blond and blue before him.**

"**What is it, Naruto?"**

"**Iruka's makin' pancakes!!" he shouted loudly. Then a look of confusion came into his deep blue eyes. "What're pancakes?"**

"**Umm...pancakes. Well they're-" Kakashi tried to think of the best way to describe a pancake to a child.**

"**I bet Iruka can show you. Come on. Let's go watch him cook. By the way, Naruto. How old are you again? I don't think I know."**

"**Nine." he replied. "Now can we go watch Iruka make the pancakes?!"**

**He proceeded to tug Kakashi by the sleeve of his sweatshirt all the way into the kitchen. Iruka was pouring gooey white batter into a large frying pan on the stove. The mixture sizzled and spattered as it made contact with the hot metal. In another pan large sausages were cooking rapidly.**

**The tantalizing aroma of cooking meat filled the air thickly. Kakashi heard his stomach growl in anticipation and grinned.**

"**That sure smells good, Iruka. What are pancakes?" Naruto asked as he stood on his tip-toes to see the stove.**

**Iruka faced Naruto with a smile. "Thank you for the compliments on my cooking, but don't get too close, okay? This is really hot and you could burn yourself if you aren't careful."**

**Naruto nodded sagely and took two humongous steps away from the oven.**

"**Okay. How's this?" he asked after stopping.**

"**Well, you didn't have to get that far away. I think one really big step would have done it. Why don't you help my friend set the table? When this food is done everyone can eat faster."**

**Kakashi handed Naruto things to put on the table. The soft clinking of metal and ceramic on wood filled the room. When the older man turned around, he was met with a surprise. Naruto had obediently stacked the plates, cups, eating utensils, and napkins onto the table, but he was looking at the with a curious expression.**

**The little boy chewed his bottom lip for several seconds and then glanced nervously at Kakashi. **

"**What are these?"**

**All sounds in the kitchen seemed to stop momentarily. It was as if everything had been paused by a remote control. Both men looked at Naruto with similar expressions. Kakashi blinked once, twice.**

"**You don't know what these are? You've never seen things like this before?" he finally managed to get his mouth working again.**

**_'How could he not know what plates and forks and knives are? Did he grow up on the streets. No... That I doubt. There is no way Naruto could have survived his entire life in Konoha alone.'_**

**Naruto looked down at the ground while shaking his head back and forth. _'Please don't be mad at me. please,please,please. I'll learn how to do this right. Please don't yell, please, please, please.' _He didn't know he had started to cry until he tasted something bitter in his mouth. Quickly he wiped his eyes and met Kakashi's dark gaze.**

"**No...no...no."**

"**Hey there. It's alright. No need to worry because I'm not mad. Come here and I'll show you what to do with these." Kakashi spoke gently as he lifted Naruto's chin. "Cheer up."**

**The older man wasn't prepared for Naruto's response. His eyes grew wide with fear and he recoiled sharply as if he had been hit. He pulled away further until his back was pressed against the wall, small chest rising rapidly.**

**Iruka slid the last batch of pancakes onto a plate and switched the burners off. He set the sausages aside on another plate.**

"**Naruto. Calm down. Nobody is going to hurt you." the chocolate-eyed man said.**

**Tears squeezed out from between Naruto's tightly shut eyelids. Iruka went over, knelt on one knee, and slowly pulled the crying child into a hug.**

"**Kakashi is not ever going to hurt you and neither am I. It's okay. You don't have to be afraid of us. You don't have to be afraid anymore."**

**Naruto wrapped his small arms around Iruka's neck and held on tightly. He stopped sobbing long enough to whisper into the older man's ear.**

"**I'll try...I'll try not to be afraid any more." he said quietly.**

**Outside, beyond the curtains hanging in the windows, it began to snow.**

**Nothing much happened in this chapter and I'm sure the ending didn't make much sense, but I wanted to focus on the bond between Iruka and Naruto. The snow was supposed to stand for a new beginning. Like Naruto's life is starting over again with a clean slate and its his chance to make everything better for himself. Yeah, that sort of thing. Within the next two chapters I should introduce more characters. Happiness. Oh yeah! For those who caught this week's episode of Naruto, it was so cool! The new episodes only come on every Saturday and right now we are on episode #76. And in a few more, my all-time favorite character will be joining the anime. Yay for Itachi!!**


	4. Mystery

**Okay everyone. I know it took me a long time to update, but hopefully this extra long chapter should be able to compensate for it. I give cookies and cake to every one of my reviewers. You all have waited to patiently for me to post this up. Thank you!! Alright, time for the chapter. I know how long you've been wanting to read it so here you go!!**

**I owe a big thanks to: KuramaKitsuneRyu, UchihaUzumaki Baby, cheza 'flower' silver' wolf, RinTori, Akamaru012, Lotus.Under.Thorns, sonic-stage, Gothic Katie, cutegerbilofdeath, Twisted Tails, Orshadow, and Asaki Naruto's Girlfriend. You all are freaking awesome!! **

**Quick note: Because I've had so few, actually, nix that, NO hospital experiences other than when I was born, I'm going to make the hospital similar to the anime's. And there will be a Hokage in this story. Sarutobi will be the equivalent of a president. The governing system will be the same as the anime too. You know...like the Hokage and his advisory council. I'm doing that because its SOOO much easier than trying to explain the U.S. governing system. Sorry if this confuses anyone.**

**Disclaimer: takes deep breath I WISH I OWNED NARUTO!!!**

**Last time:**

**Iruka slid the last batch of pancakes onto a plate and switched the burners off. He set the sausages aside on another plate.**

"**Naruto. Calm down. Nobody is going to hurt you." the chocolate-eyed man said.**

**Tears squeezed out from between Naruto's tightly shut eyelids. Iruka went over, knelt on one knee, and slowly pulled the crying child into a hug.**

"**Kakashi is not ever going to hurt you and neither am I. It's okay. You don't have to be afraid of us. You don't have to be afraid anymore."**

**Naruto wrapped his small arms around Iruka's neck and held on tightly. He stopped sobbing long enough to whisper into the older man's ear.**

"**I'll try...I'll try not to be afraid any more." he said quietly.**

**Outside, beyond the curtains hanging in the windows, it began to snow.**

* * *

**Chapter 4. Mystery**

"**And this, Naruto, is a fork. This goes next to the plate and you use it to pick up the small pieces of food." Iruka patiently explained to the blond-haired child beside him.**

**Naruto looked with fascination at the silver utensil in Iruka's hand and then reached out to grab it.**

"**A fork?" he asked questioningly, taking the metal thing into his hands.**

"**Yep." said Kakashi through a mouthful of pancake. "You know something, Iruka? You make really good food."**

"**Hey! Don't talk with food in your mouth. You need to set an example for Naruto, at least while he's in your house." Iruka turned to Naruto and said, "Go ahead and eat, Naruto. We can practice with all of these things later, okay."**

"**Okay."**

**The rest of the meal passed in silence interrupted with exclamations of delight as Naruto tasted each food that was new to him. All of it was. Kakashi and Iruka both watched the little boy with smiles on their faces.**

**Outside, the weather had lightened up considerably. Tiny snowflakes drifted down from the heavens gently. A few of the pure white dots had glued themselves to windows, but with the curtains drawn and the heater on high, the house was warm and cozy.**

**Naruto was making messy attempts to eat a pancake with the proper utensils. It took all of Kakashi's willpower to keep himself from laughing as the child stuck his tongue out between his lips and speared a flapjack with his fork. A general sense of peace and relaxation filled the small room. Neither Iruka nor Kakashi were prepared for what happened next.**

**The blond-haired child let out a low noise of frustration as the pancake slid off of his fork. Apparently he'd grown tired with his fruitless efforts to eat the way Iruka and Kakashi were. **_**'Why can't I do it?...They're going to get mad at me...they're g-gonna g-get...' **_**Naruto swallowed thickly as his anxiety grew. It exploded in a rush of frenzied thoughts. **_**'They're gonna get mad at me and they'll see that I'm not a good boy like they thought. What are they gonna do...whataretheygonnado?! I'mgonnaget...n-no...notthecloset. No.No.No.No...I have to...Ihavetoescape...have to...!'**_

"**...get away!!" Naruto screamed loudly, vocally completing his thoughts.**

**The child ran blindly to the nearest wall and began to hit his head against it as hard as he could. The first hit brought a squeal of pain. Naruto rammed his forehead against the wall again, this time bringing a star-burst of bright red blood.**

"**Naruto!" Kakashi was over by the child in an instant.**

**Iruka watched in horror as his boyfriend pulled the bleeding child away from the wall. The self-abuse persisted. Naruto flung himself on the ground and screamed intelligibly while clawing at himself. Angry red welts appeared on his arms.**

"**I'mnotagoodboy.I'mnot.I'ms-s-orry!!I d-didn't...it w-wasn't!!" **

**Naruto let out an anguished cry and slammed his head against the floor with enough force to daze himself. He lay stone still, wide blue eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, his mouth half-open in a silent scream.**

"**Naruto!" Iruka knelt down and stroked a shock of wild yellow hair sadly.**

"**He needs to go to the hospital, Iruka. We can't keep him safe here anymore. He could end up ki--" Kakashi bit his tongue. "He needs to see a doctor." he repeated.**

'_**Iruka is very sensitive, even after all these years as a social worker. I better watch my mouth. It would hurt him deeply if I said something like that.'**_

**Iruka nodded, a tight expression frozen on his face.**

**The car ride seemed too long...too silent. To Kakashi, it seemed like time itself had been suspended. He snuck a glance at the dark-haired man sitting beside him. What he saw tugged his heart painfully.**

**Iruka's face was pale and drawn, dark eyes filled with worry. Anxiously he tightened his hold on the blanket-wrapped bundle in his lap. Inside, a sleeping Naruto cried out fervently as he tossed and turned in the throes of a nightmare. Intermittent sobs from the child only added to the melancholy mood in the car.**

"**He'll be okay, Iruka." Kakashi said after some time.**

"**I know." Iruka bit out tersely.**

**Kakashi sighed and turned his attention to navigating through the maze of streets. Even with his brights on, it was hard to see through the wind-driven sleet. **_**'At least the roads are deserted...' **_**he thought as his car cautiously neared a four-way intersection. The traffic light was a cherry blur beyond his windshield. **

"**The hospital isn't too much farther from here..." he faltered, the lame attempt to brighten the atmosphere dying on his lips.**

'_**Its still hard to believe that we're actually...well...together now. So much has changed in just one night and yet so much is still the same. It hurts me so much to see him like this. And Naruto too...What is this kid's deal?' **_**Kakashi mused.**

**After what seemed like an eternity, though only six minutes had passed since the turn at the traffic light, they finally arrived at the hospital. It was a small building located in central Konoha. Soft light emanating from the windows shone like a beacon of hope to Iruka. A worried smile planted itself on his face and refused to leave.**

"**I'll park as close as I can." Kakashi said.**

**Konoha City was tiny in comparison to some of the other cities surrounding it. There were only three parking levels beside the hospital. Kakashi parked beside a blue sedan and shut off the engine. He locked the doors before following Iruka through the hospital doors.**

**The silver-haired man paused in his steps and did quick sweep of the hospital waiting room. It was completely deserted. An old muted television was bolted onto a rack in one corner of the room. Black and white subtitles crawled across the screen accompanied by the subdued images of a news report.**

**He turned away, not wanting to see the news. **_**'Its always depressing, one way or the other. I'm sure the weather has caused a lot of problems for people. There's probably been accidents, both here and in the other cities. Oh well.'**_

**The night nurse at the desk beckoned Iruka forward with a wave of her hand. **

"**What can I help you with, sir?" she spoke in a friendly voice.**

**Iruka's eyes took in the short dark hair, kind hazel eyes, and her smile. He found the name tag pinned to her nurse uniform.**

"**Shizune, is it...?" Iruka trailed off. He didn't know what to say. How could he explain this situation?**

**Kakashi sensed the discomfort and quickly came to his aid. "This kid needs help." he said, trying to pry Naruto out of his boyfriend's arms. Iruka wouldn't let go so he surrendered.**

**Shizune tilted her head, looking puzzled. "What kid? I'm afraid I..."**

**Iruka shifted the bundle until he was holding it with one arm. He pulled back the blanket and showed her Naruto's face.**

"**Oh my goodness!!" she exclaimed as she saw Naruto's scratched and bloody face. "Wait just a minute."**

**She pushed a button on the wall beside her and their was a crackle of static. "Tsunade. This is Shizune paging. I need you and a stretcher down here, now. Code 4."**

"**Right." she said calmly, her sense of profession kicking in. "Tsunade is the best doctor we have. She will be able to fix him up in no time. Ahh..." she turned toward the sound of rapid footsteps echoing down the hallway. "Here she is now." **

"**I was in the middle of a consultation with a leukemia patient, Shizune. Her parents were livid when I ran out like that. What is it?" a big-breasted woman said as she drew up to the group.**

"**Please..." Iruka said softly, drawing attention to himself. "Can you help him?"**

**Tsunade lifted the sleeping child out of his arms, a feat not easily accomplished, and laid him out on the stretcher. Just then Naruto woke up screaming.**

"**NOOOOOOO!" he wailed, reaching out to grab Iruka. "Don't leave m-me!! I p-promise I'll b-be good this time! I promise I w-w-on't do it again."**

**Blood ran anew, dripping into Naruto's eyes and painting his face red. Iruka couldn't help but wince when the child reached a hand towards him.**

"**NO!! Iruka, don't let t-them take me! Please!" he screamed hoarsely. His protests grew weak from the constant stress on his vocal cords.**

"**...Please behave, Naruto.." came Iruka's strained voice.**

**Tsunade removed something from her pocket and poked Naruto's arm with it. Almost immediately the sedative began to take affect. The boy lay listlessly on the stretcher, blue eyes open in a half-lidded gaze. He fell sound asleep within the next minute.**

"**I'll send someone to get you after we give him a check-up and bandage those wounds." the medic said and swiftly wheeled her new patient into a maze of corridors.**

**Iruka shut his eyes and fisted his hands before any tears could fall. **_**'He wants me. He needs me but I...He's not even my own kid and it hurts. He hasn't even spent two days with me and he already feels like my son...'**_

**Kakashi could feel the distress radiating off of the younger man. Taking a tightly clenched fist into his own hand, he guided Iruka to a chair in the waiting room. After sitting down he took the blanket that had previously been used by Naruto and placed it around Iruka.**

"**Naruto is going to be just fine. I promise."**

**There was silence for a while. Then, "But how, how can you promise something like that?"**

**Iruka felt a comforting arm snake under the blanket and he was pulled closer to the warm body beside him. A chin rested itself upon his head.**

"**Because I know what I'm talking about. You admitted at the park that you didn't think the kid had a home based on his appearance. If that's true, then he's been alone for some time now. Naruto has barely spent a day with you yet he already sees you as a father figure. I think its safe to say that Naruto will pull through if you take his life before he met you into consideration."**

"**I know...I know." Iruka replied, squeezing his boyfriend's hand gently. "I know...It's just-" he yawned.**

"**Relax. Its still daylight, but try getting some sleep anyway. A good nap always makes me feel better."**

**Closing his chocolate eyes, he gave a disheartened sigh and leaned into Kakashi's embrace.**

"**I'll wake you when something happens, okay?"**

"**Mm-hmm." came the drained reply.**

**Despite the nagging worry that plagued his mind, Iruka found himself dozing off. Kakashi stared in rapture at the face of the softly snoring man beside him. A rare smile formed on his lips. '**_**He looks...like an angel. He is my angel.'**_

**The silver-haired man didn't move from his spot, even after his butt started to go numb. **_**'Note to self. Mentally thank the company who decided NOT to put arm rests on these damn chairs. Now all they have to do is invent a comfortable chair. You'd think they would because it's a hospital...'**_

**He busied himself with reading the subtitles on the television screen. After half-an-hour, he began to read them backwards. Once again he succumbed to boredom. He carefully maneuvered a piece of chewing gum out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth.**

**He blew a bubble. **_**Pop! **_**He blew another bubble. **_**Pop!! **_**He blew a bigger bubble and groaned after the thing exploded in a sticky mess all over face. **_**'Great...Boredom sucks...' **_**he thought as he peeled the filmy pink plaster from his cheeks. **

"**What to do...What to do..." Kakashi muttered to himself. "Maybe I could try and levitate the t.v. with my eyes or something. That would be pretty cool."**

**The innocent television fell prey to his stare. Eventually he lost interest in causing an object to float by looking at it and searched for something else to do.**

"**Would you like some coffee while you're waiting?"**

**Kakashi tore his gaze away from the wall, having found at least eight spots where a different color of paint was visible under the yellow cream. He sighed while mentally shaking his head. **

"**Did this place used to be a different color before it was painted yellow?" he asked, already knowing the answer.**

**Shizune smiled prettily at the question. "Yes. It was, actually. It used to be cerulean but there were a lot of complaints about clashing colors, especially with the chairs. There weren't enough donations to afford new chairs, so we had the walls painted instead."**

**Kakashi peered down at the chair beneath him which was an alarming shade of orange. **_**'Yeah...clashing colors...I could see that.' **_**he thought as he pictured the old hospital .**

"**You didn't answer my question. If you want some coffee, it's over in the lobby." the nurse pointed to an open room across from them. **

"**That would be nice, but could you get it for me? I don't want to wake him." **

**Kakashi's eyes grew soft and his heart swelled with adoration as the man beside him smiled in his sleep. "Uh...yeah...Ha-ha." Nervous laughter escaped loudly.**

"**Are you two...you know...together?" Shizune asked inquisitively. **

"**Uh..." a light blush tinted his otherwise pale cheeks. **_**'Jeez, is it really that obvious? I mean, not that it's a bad thing, but I know there are people who agree with gay relationships. I seriously hope she isn't one of the ones who're agai...'**_

"**Aww!! How cute!! You two look like you were made for each other!!" the woman squealed, then promptly fell quiet under Kakashi's stern gaze. "Oops." she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm being way too loud. Just tell me what you'd like in your coffee and I'll get it for you."**

"**Thanks." came the light-hearted reply. "Three creamers, four sugars. That's all."**

**Shizune sweatdropped and laughed. "I guess you're a big sugar fan, huh. Well, okay then. I'll be right back."**

**She scurried away to prepare Kakashi's coffee. Meanwhile, Kakashi was back to his bored self. Watching Iruka sleep filled him with peace, but anxiety gnawed at the pit of his stomach. **_**'I seriously wonder what this kid's story could be. That burn on his back...the welted scars...Who would do something like that to a child.'**_

**A frigid blast of air made him shiver in his bright orange chair. Isolating the source easily, he turned and was confronted with a sight that made him want to laugh. **

**An old, white-haired man was being marched through the hospital by the ear. The young woman accompanying him, or rather, the one pulling him by the ear, muttered dark threats under her breath. Kakashi caught snatches of the conversation, but not enough to give him a clear understanding of what was going on. What he did overhear piqued his interest quite a bit.**

"**...womanizing ways...", "Don't know what to do with you...""perverted old hermit.." That one made him snicker. And finally, "...why would I pose for your stupid porno trash anyway?!...You're a disgusting old man!!"**

"**But babe..." the man started.**

"**Don't you babe me, you old perve!! You just want to get in my pants." the woman yelled.**

**With a vicious slap across the face and a kick to the groin, she left him lying on the tiled floor. She didn't hide the satisfied smirk as the man held his privates in pain.**

**After the excitement died down, the man got slowly to his feet and hobbled over to the waiting room. The orange chair across from Kakashi squeaked vehemently in response as he seated himself. **

"**Jiraiya...Are you up to no good again?! One of these days some woman is going to murder you for groping the way you do...Or they might even castrate you. That would be even worse." Shizune said as she appeared from the lobby.**

"**But its not my fault...There are just so many beautiful women!!! They just can't resist my charm." spoke the man now known as Jiraiya.**

"**Yeah, right." said Kakashi. "The only charm you have was probably just damaged for life by the kick that woman gave you."**

"**Hey!!" Jiraiya replied offensively. "She liked it rough anyhow."**

**Kakashi snorted in disbelief. "I don't see how you could get any at all, you old fart."**

"**My name is Jiraiya, but chicks know me as Jiraiya the Driver!!"**

"**Oh, you're full of it. I know you came up with that nickname on your own. There's NO way you could have earned it alone." Shizune smacked him over the head smartly.**

"**Ouch! Hey, that's sexual harassment of a patient. I should sue." Jiraiya protested.**

"**If you sue, the only thing you'd want from me for payment would be a bunch of sexual stimulants. Trust me. I know the way your mind works. And besides, pervert, what would your therapist have to say about that?! Now, fill out these papers and return them when you're finished. No lying about your age again, either. I'm sure you remember the drama that happened last time because of it."**

**The white-haired man gave a dramatic sigh and slumped down in his chair, paperwork in hand. **

"**Right, right..." he muttered distractedly.**

**The nurse handed Kakashi a steaming styrofoam cup and smiled sweetly. "Its hot so be careful. Just let me know if Jiraiya bothers you at all, okay? I'll be at the front desk again."**

**All was calm after that. Kakashi returned to eyeballing the walls while Jiraiya's pen flew across one of the many forms in his lap. Occasionally he sipped at his hot coffee.**

'_**Ohh, its perfect. Yes!! Sugar is good. Very good coffee. She got it just right.' **_**he thought as he savored the intensely sweet beverage in his hand.**

"**So..." began Kakashi after the quiet transcended into an awkward silence. "What exactly was the "porno trash." that woman was talking about, anyways?"**

**Jiraiya's head shot up. "Well, I've been working on a new novel for some time now. Researching is hard work, but I'm almost ready to publish it. Maybe you've heard of it. Icha Icha Paradise?"**

**Kakashi froze, then frowned. "**_**You're **_**the one who writes Icha Icha?" Disbelief laced every word.**

"**Why, yes. I am!" the old man chuckled. "See?!" he said. With a hurried movement he reached into the folds of his robe and withdrew an object very familiar to Kakashi.**

"**Is that...Is that the latest version of Icha Icha?"**

"**Why yes it is!! This baby hasn't even been released to the public yet!!" Jiraiya proclaimed loudly while jumping to his feet.**

"**Jiraiya. You're being too loud!!" Shizune called from her desk. "Don't make me come over there."**

**The old man smirked and tossed his long white hair behind him. "What did I say? The ladies simply can't resist me."**

"**I'll show you resisting, you pervert." **

**Shizune's words made him wince. He laughed nervously. "Anyways." he went on in a whisper. "This is one of the few original copies. Un-edited and unrevised. Its pretty intense if you know what I mean."**

**A small stream of drool escaped Kakashi's mouth. The euphoric grin on his face widened when Jiraiya waved the book tauntingly.**

"**For a small fee of...oh...lets say...864 yen, you can purchase the original copy. That is in addition to the 1,235 yen price."**

**Kakashi felt his wallet screaming as he fished a few bills out of the leather folds.**_**'Shut up, stupid wallet. This makes me happy. I don't care about you!'**_

"**Jeez, each novel is getting more and more expensive. It better be worth it." **

"**I assure you, it is! Each page has delicately been designed to..."**

"**Hey. Could you autograph this?" the silver-haired man questioned. **

**Jiraiya nodded enthusiastically. "Of course.!! To who am I signing it?"**

**He signed the front cover in a flourish, pausing only twice to ensure the correct spelling. The man handed it back as soon as he was done.**

" **I will forever cherish this moment in my life."**

**Kakashi was grinning from ear to ear. **_**'Finally, I have an autographed Icha Icha novel. And a month before its scheduled release date. I'm saved from boredom! I must save this for later. Yes...For ideas...'**_

**There was a manic gleam in his eye as he tucked the book away. **_**'For safekeeping..' **_**he insisted. The urge to delve into the naughty content was promptly squashed when a familiar voice met his ears.**

"**I need to see Hatake Kakashi right now." Tsunade emerged from the hallway. "Wake him up. He needs to be here too." she gestured swiftly to the man sleeping on Kakashi's shoulder.**

"**Iruka." he called, but the man barely stirred in response. "Wake up."**

'_**He sure is a heavy sleeper. He slept for a long time yesterday too. Maybe its stress. Oh well. It seems I have no choice.'**_

**Without hesitation he reached out and softly poked Iruka in the side. The man grinned in his sleep. Kakashi began to tickle him mercilessly, earning a rather undignified squeak from Iruka.**

"**You could have just shook me or something. Tickling was not necessary."**

"**Yeah, well. It was way more fun." Kakashi grinned**

"**If you two are done now, I need you to come with me."**

**The grave tone with which Tsunade spoke reduced the mirthful atmosphere to a somber one. Only the ticking of a clock prevented the silence from descending into a cemetary-like repose. Even Jiraiya was silent.**

"**Right." came the simultaneous response.**

**Anxiety clawed its way into the pit of Iruka's stomach, grating on his nerves until they were frayed and taut. He took a deep breath. And another. **_**'Calm down. Maybe things won't be that bad. Relax. I need to relax.'**_

**He gazed distractedly on the walls, not really taking in their vibrant colors. **_**'This must be the children's ward.' **_**the thought popped into his head. **_**'All these pictures. The bright colors. Yeah...Relax.' **_**He felt someone tap his shoulder. Kakashi was watching him with concern.**

"**You okay?" he mouthed.**

**Iruka hesitated before nodding.**

"**Liar." Kakashi whispered, earning a small smile.**

**He squeezed the younger man's hand reassuringly. "I'm sure he's alright."**

**Iruka nodded again and turned his attention to the tiled floor. **_**'I wonder what time it is. I hope that Naruto is okay. Will he be able to stay with us? Does he have a home? What am I going to do if he does stay? If he can't, then where will he go? He can stay with me. He can't go to foster care...not after everything else he's been through. He needs stability. A safe place that he's comfortable with. The kind...the kind that I could give him if he was my own... '**_

**Kakashi observed the different emotions flitting over his boyfriend's face. It seemed almost strange, watching the man's expression fluctuate between worry and determination. The signs of anxiety shone clearly on his features.**

'_**I've never seen him this worked about something before. Its so unusual.'**_

**Not knowing what else to do, he slipped his hand into Iruka's and held it lightly. The way he held it clearly said: " If this is uncomfortable for you in public then its okay."**

**A heavy blush tinted the man's cheeks, but he accepted the warm hand willingly. **

"**Thank you." he nodded silently.**

"**No problem." Kakashi replied.**

"**In this room, please." Tsunade gestured.**

**She picked up a clipboard, read through it, and shook her head sadly.**

"**He's probably asleep so --"**

"**Mr. Umino!"**

**Iruka "oofed" as a yellow and blue blur attacked him. He felt Naruto attach himself to one leg. **

"**Carry me!" the child said and hugged the limb tightly.**

**Kakashi merely chuckled at the sight. Iruka tried to pry the blonde kid off of his leg but Naruto clung stubbornly to the appendage. He refused to let go until the man promised to carry him.**

"**Hey, kid! Go sit up on that bed for a moment." Tsunade ordered sharply.**

**Iruka felt the child flinch in his arms and gave him a swift hug. "Do what she says, Naruto. She is a doctor." **

**Guilt clenched at his heart as little Naruto eyed him sadly. **

"**...okay..." he freed himself and clambered up onto the bed, watching the trio solemnly.**

**Kakashi and Iruka sat themselves down in a pair of soft blue chairs next to the bed. Tsunade scanned through the charts on her clipboard. "Where to begin...where to begin." she muttered under her breath.**

"**Just explain everything to us." Kakashi said, speaking for Iruka as well.**

"**He isn't your kid, right? You found him?" the woman questioned.**

"**Yes...At one of the parks." Iruka added after a slight pause.**

**Tsunade shifted the thick file to one hand and opened it. She flipped through its contents, scanning briefly until she came to a page.**

"**His name is Naruto. Birth date: Unknown. Last name: Also unknown. A woman discovered him inside an abandoned house. She heard a baby crying and went to investigate. He's been in and out of foster care ever since. Last known address: 464 Sandlewood Street in the care of Kabuto Yakushi as of a year ago. He's been in..." she turned to the next page. "Eleven different foster homes before that. The child care system lost all information after that." Tsunade stopped for a moment.**

**A sudden hush fell over the room. Iruka looked sad...distraught even, as Tsunade divulged his medical records.**

"**Naruto was brought in for a greenstick fracture of the right radius. That's an arm bone. He has also been here for a complete fracture of the left fibula, one of the bones in his leg, severe bruising of the ribs, a cracked skull, and severe rope burns on both wrists and ankles twice. I don't think its necessary for me to say that he has been abused."**

"**Why...Why would anyone do that to a child..." Iruka whispered lowly through gritted teeth. His hands had tightened into fists by his sides.**

**Tsunade cleared her throat and spoke again. "Naruto was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder when he was four years old. He's supposed to be on medication for that but he's not. He was also admitted twice for self-injury. When he was eight, he cut his right leg with an unknown object, suspected to be a piece of glass. The other incident took place about four months later. He poured boiling water on his left hand..."**

**Emotion clogged Iruka's throat. Kakashi's mouth fell open slightly, speechless. The same thoughts rampaged through their minds. **_**'WHY in the world would anybody do that to a CHILD. How could he do something like that to HIMSELF?'**_

"**Whats..." Iruka swallowed a painful lump in his throat. "...What's going...to happen to...to him now?"**

**Just then Naruto spoke up. "I'm going to stay with Mr. Iruka and Mr. Kakashi, right? Ummm...Can I take this thing off now, Ms. Doctor Person?"**

**Kakashi couldn't help but grin at Naruto's choice of words. **_**'Ms. Doctor Person. If he does stay with Iruka and myself...wait a minute. Iruka isn't even living with me...Not yet...But if he does, then we'll definitely have to work on his manners.'**_

"**No, Naruto. Those bandages have to stay on for a while. And my name is NOT Ms. Doctor Person." **

**Naruto's hand stopped fiddling with the gauze wrap around his forehead and went to his lap instead. Absently he began to stroke the fabric of the hospital gown he wore. It would have nearly matched his eyes except for the profound sorrow now filling them. Iruka's heart wept for the forsaken child.**

"**The head wound wasn't extensive. I also bandaged the scar on his back, which looks like it came from being dragged across some sort of rough surface. Asphalt, most likely. It will need to be redressed and cleaned every day. The same goes for the one on his head." she said.**

"**I would recommend committing him to a psychiatric hospital if it weren't for the fact that he needs a stable family more than large amounts of medication. Still, I must insist that he does receive therapy. I know a place not too far from here that specializes in treating cases like his. Its called the Children's Well-Being Clinic." Tsunade gave them a meaningful look, signaling that she still wasn't done.**

"**There are...two things. My degree is in medicine, not psychology, but Naruto's medical records show that he has been admitted twice for episodes of severe dissociation. Also...there is clear evidence that shows..." Tsunade lowered her voice to a whisper.**

"**...that he has been raped twice in early childhood, ages 7 and 8. Scarring shows that some type of blunt instrument was used. An investigation was made but there was not enough evidence to make a conviction."**

**The words seared Iruka's mind, shocking him to the core. Disbelief and acceptance waged a private battle in his mind. Meanwhile, Kakashi was silently battling the urge to go out and murder the person responsible for Naruto's suffering. Neither of them were able to speak. It was as if a proverbial plug had been pulled and the life in the room was sloshing down the drain.**

**Surprisingly it was Iruka that spoke next.**

"**I am a social worker. I'll see...what I can do. Where is he going to stay right now?"**

"**He'll remain here at the hospital. I'm afraid he can't stay with you because you aren't his legal guardian. The Hokage will have to be notified, of course. I can attempt to call him now, but he is a busy man with a city to run."**

"**Right." Iruka said distractedly. He was already thinking about the best way to go about adopting Naruto.**

**Kakashi was confused. Very confused. **_**'What does the Hokage have to do with adopting a kid?' **_

**Much his dismay, he heard himself ask about the adoption system. "How exactly does the adoption system work?"**

**Iruka took a deep breath and launched himself into an explanation.**

"**I'll try to make this simple. When child abuse is reported, CPS investigates and if they find any implications that abuse or neglect is indeed happening in the home, the children are removed and sent to foster care."**

"**I have other patients that need to be checked on so I have to leave. There are doctors scattered around the hospital. Just ask one of them if you get lost on your way out. If you want, I can give you the phone number for the Hokage now. I'll leave it on the desk. Ask for me if something happens." Tsunade interrupted meaningfully. She scribbled a set of digits and dismissed herself from the room.**

" **Well." Iruka began again. "From there, it is the adoption agency's job to locate a suitable foster home. There are certain requirements that must be fulfilled in order to adopt a child. The children are kept in foster care until a family looking to adopt chooses to go under a one month trial with them. If the family decides to adopt after the one month trial, paperwork containing medical records, history, and everything else important is sent to the Hokage. He is the one who makes everything official. Understand now?"**

"**Yeah." Kakashi nodded sheepishly. "I had no idea the entire process was that complicated. So...what exactly is your job, Iruka?"**

**Iruka waved Naruto over with a hand. The little boy smiled and crawled hastily into his lap.**

"**My job." he began, wrapping his arms loosely around Naruto, "Is to investigate reports of child abuse and transport children to and from foster care. I also check up on the children during the trial phase to make sure everything is working out smoothly."**

"**So...what do you think is going to happen to Naruto."**

"**I want to stay with 'Ruka-san and 'Kashi-san. Can I? I promise I'll be good forever."**

**Iruka smiled, but it was a sad one, full of compassion and understanding. He ruffled the boy's hair affectionately.**

"**Let's see if we can't do that, Naruto. There's a phone in here, so I suppose I could call on that. Should I..."**

'_**He sounds really hesitant about doing this but I know that he wants to do it. Maybe I could. Yeah, if I do it then it'll be easier on Iruka. Today hasn't been easy for him at all and its only the morning.'**_

"**Let me do it, Iruka. You're stressed enough as it is. Just tell me what to say." Kakashi said.**

**He wasn't going to take no for an answer. Hand poised over the telephone, he waited patiently for a response.**

"**Okay." Iruka conceded. He let out an anxious sigh and bounced the child in his lap gently.**

**With bated breath he pressed the keypad and held the phone up to his ear. Hopeful ringing sounded through the phone. **_**'Pick up. Pick up. Please pick up. Pick up. Pick up.' **_**quickly became his mental mantra.**

**The ringing was abruptly cut off by a click. A sharp pain in his chest reminded him that he needed to breathe. **

"**Hello. This is the Hokage's secretary, Yukina. How may I help you?"**

"**Uhh...Yeah." Kakashi started. He was unsure of what to say. "This is about an adoption...there was a kid found and he's"**

"**Do you wish to speak to Hokage-sama?"**

**Kakashi was startled at the secretary's response. "Well..."he said. "That would be nice."**

"**Please hold a moment. I'll see if he's busy.."**

**A rush of static filled the earpiece before there were two more clicks. Yukina's soft voice returned.**

"**Thank you for waiting. I'll link you through to his office now. Have a good day!" the secretary finished cheerfully before hanging up.**

'_**Damn...What sort of happy pill is she on?'**_

**A new voice answered the phone. It sounded mellow to Kakashi's ears but when the Hokage spoke, he could feel authority ringing in his words.**

"**This is the Hokage." an old man said. "What do you want?"**

**Kakashi was at a loss for words.**

"**Hokage-sama...If I may..." **

"**Bah! Enough with Hokage-sama. You're making me feel old. Sarutobi will suffice. Now, what is it that you want? My secretary mentioned something about a child."**

"**Ah, yes. My name is Hatake Kakashi. My...er.." he faltered, not quite sure what term to use with his boyfriend. "I'm a friend of Iruka's. You probably know him."**

"**As a matter of fact, I do. How is he?"**

"**Do you want to talk to him? He's right here."**

"**Of course." Sarutobi said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.**

**Kakashi handed the phone to Iruka, whispered an apology, and gathered Naruto into his own arms.**

"**I'm gonna stay with you, right? Are you going to be my new Otou-san? I've had a lot of them, but they didn't like me..." Naruto's bottom lip trembled slightly. "But you like me, right?!" he blurted out.**

**Iruka and Sarutobi continued to talk. After a while the man got up and left the room. He came back in a few minutes later with the phone by his side and a small smile on his face. **

"**Well?" Kakashi questioned, holding his breath again. **_**'All this stress isn't good for me. I'm going to develop an ulcer or something.'**_

**Iruka gave a defeated sigh. "I've got temporary custody. He stays with me until a thorough investigation is made. They are going to try and locate his most recent foster home. Then they'll send him to a new home."**

**Desperately he rubbed at the tears forming in his eyes. They came anyway, trickling down to stain his unusually pale cheeks. Kakashi was embracing him instantly.**

"**Don't cry. I know he'll be able to stay with us." he rubbed Iruka's back soothingly.**

**Anger made Kakashi's blood boil. Not only was his new boyfriend extremely upset, but the cold, unfeeling child care system was going to put Naruto in yet **_**another**_** foster home. This would make it his thirteenth foster home in nine years. Life had not been fair to the blonde-haired little boy currently watching his savior break down in front of him.**

'_**Darn it...Pull yourself together, Iruka. I can't be like this in front of Naruto. No. Not after all he's been through. I just can't. Stop crying. Stop crying and pull yourself together.'**_

**Kakashi used his hand and brushed the tears away from his lover's face gently before embracing him again. Naruto joined in as well, fiercely hugging Iruka's leg.**

**Iruka's thank you was muffled by the shoulder in front of him.**

"**What do you say we all go home, guys?" Kakashi asked after they parted from their gigantic hug.**

**Naruto gave a radiant smile and nodded enthusiastically. His blue eyes shone with the first true hint of happiness he'd ever displayed. Iruka scooped the little boy into his arms, mindful of the wounds on his back and forehead.**

"**Right. We'll go."**

* * *

"**Good-bye. I will give Tsunade-sama the note, don't worry. Take care!" Shizune called from her desk.**

"**You too." Kakashi replied with a smile.**

**Once outside, the mood seemed to brighten greatly. Naruto clung to Iruka's hip and shrunk himself into the blanket as much as he could to avoid the cold. Kakashi paused mid-stride to gaze at the sky. Snow had begun falling again. It was powdery snow, however, and it didn't stick to much. Both men were draped in a thin layer of fine snow by the time they reached the car. **

**Kakashi started the vehicle and let it run until hot air blasted from the heater. They stood huddled together outside. All of them were willing to trade a few frigid minutes for a warm car ride home. They made small talk during the entire ride home, happy for the few weeks that Naruto would be with them.**

**What neither man noticed was the silent, shadowy figure that had followed them out of the hospital and now stood a ways from the entrance. The person watched the trio drive out of the parking lot until they disappeared. With a toss of long dark hair and a swirl of snow, the streets were empty once more. **

**Yen: Japanese currency, I think. Or is it Ryo?**

**864 Yen is basically equivalent to 7 U.S. dollars. I have no idea about prices for things in Japan, but I figure if I can by a book at the store for 7 dollars, the same goes in Japan. 1,235 Yen is basically equivalent to 10 U.S. dollars. 17 dollars for an Icha Icha Paradise book...O.o**

**Greenstick fracture: incomplete fracture, meaning part of the bone has split away from itself without breaking the skin.**

**Excuse my possible butchering of all Japanese. I've been to web sites and read up on respectful terms, but that doesn't mean I know if what I'm using is right. If not, someone kindly correct me. I've decided to switch from english respects to japanese. Perhaps someone who knows who should be called what when can just send me a review or PM with a list so I know what I'm doing. Thank would be very nice.**

**I am SOOOO evil. I left it at a cliffy. I do apologize for this super-ultra-late update and the extensive after notes. I've also noted that there are contradicting parts in my last chapter or so. I will hopefully get to fixing them soon. In the mean time, please be patient. Hopefully I will be able to get back into it full gear and then the updates should start coming faster. Coffee, hot tea, and chocolate are my inspiration! Send me some inspiration in your review!!**


	5. Family

**Okay. I swear I've written this thing at least six times. Please don't kill me for making this update take so long. I want to thank everyone who has read my story and waited patiently (or maybe not-so-patiently) for me to update. This is for you.**

**Disclaimer: Naruto and all other licensed characters belong to Mashashi Kishimoto. I'm only borrowing them. Besides…I have over three-hundred Naruto pictures on my computer.**

**What happened last time:**

"**Good-bye. I will give Tsunade-sama the note, don't worry. Take care!" Shizune called from her desk.**

"**You too." Kakashi replied with a smile.**

**Once outside, the mood seemed to brighten greatly. Naruto clung to Iruka's hip and shrunk himself into the blanket as much as he could to avoid the cold. Kakashi paused mid-stride to gaze at the sky. Snow had begun falling again. It was powdery snow, however, and it didn't stick to much. Both men were draped in a thin layer of fine snow by the time they reached the car. **

**Kakashi started the vehicle and let it run until hot air blasted from the heater. They stood huddled together outside. All of them were willing to trade a few frigid minutes for a warm car ride home. They made small talk during the entire ride home, happy for the few weeks that Naruto would be with them.**

**What neither man noticed was the silent, shadowy figure that had followed them out of the hospital and now stood a ways from the entrance. The person watched the trio drive out of the parking lot until they disappeared. With a toss of long dark hair and a swirl of snow, the streets were empty once more. **

**Chapter Four: Family**

**The atmosphere between the two men was solemn, but Naruto smiled brightly and the mood seemed to lift.**

"**So, Naruto. You're going to live with us. What do you think of that?"**

**A blush crept over Iruka's cheeks as the silver-haired man beside him spoke. **_**'Us?Does that mean he wants to move in…so soon?'**_

**Naruto's smile sent warmth through Iruka's heart. He couldn't help but grin along with the child. Such carefree mannerisms concealed an inner chaos, but several years as a social worker allowed him to easily see through the defensive walls and catch a glimpse inside.**

"**I like it." he chirruped while snuggling further into the dark fleece blanket.**

**Kakashi's small chuckle earned a grin from Iruka. He stored the melodious sound in his mind; he wanted to memorize everything about his new boyfriend. As unsure as he was about the sudden development with his long-time friend, Iruka felt like the tiny missing piece within him had been filled.**

"**Are you alright?"**

**His lover's words woke Iruka from his trance-like state of thought. A blush crept over the collar of his jacket. Smiling softly, Kakashi snuck one hand around the headrest of the other man and gently tugged at his hair.**

"**Eep! Kashi-chan, stop!"**

**Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the nickname. Fire engine red and now further embarrassed by his loose tongue, he began to stutter aimlessly. Finally, chagrined, he gave a tiny smile. Naruto stuck his chin up from the warmth of his cocoon.**

"**I need to wear a seat belt, and Mr. Hatake needs to pay attention to the road." the child said wisely.**

"**That means you've been in a car before?" Iruka asked.**

**Naruto nodded blatantly, a wary shadow hovering before his eyes. Iruka could sense that the subject of driving made him uncomfortable, although he had had no apparent qualms about riding in a vehicle before hand.**

**Naruto climbed out of the blanket into the back seat. The seat belt snapped shut with a click. The blue-eyed child looked wisely at his new guardian. **

'_**I have to do this right. I have to, have to, have to. I have to be good.'**_

"**Where are we going?" **

**Kakashi made a right and stopped outside a small clothing store.**

"**We're here. We're going to buy you some proper clothes to wear, Naruto. Come on out, but wrap yourself in this, "Iruka handed Naruto the blanket, "so you won't be cold, okay."**

**Obediently he flung the blanket like a cape over his tiny shoulders, punched a triumphant fist into the air, and said, "Fear not, evil doers. Uzumaki Naruto is hear to save the day and rescue Iruka-san and Kakashi-san!"**

**Iruka chuckled as they entered the store. "Naruto. It's all right to call me Iruka now. And Kakashi is just Kakashi."**

**Warmth flushed his cheeks as Kakashi reached out and took his hand. With the gentle pressure of his thumb, he rubbed tender circles along the back. Skin as smooth silk met his touch.**

'_**Kami, he's beautiful.' **_

**Upon entering the store, Iruka's serious chocolate eyes met his gaze.**

"**I'm sorry…" he whispered, leaning close to Kakashi's left ear. ", but I don't quite feel comfortable yet about revealing our relationship to the public…"**

"**I'm sorry," he murmured again while staring shamefully at the floor. He was unable to meet his new boyfriend's gaze.**

**A rush of understanding raced to Kakashi's face. He gently kissed his lover's temple before ruffling his dark hair.**

"**It's okay. I'll ease up, alright."**

**Kakashi's eyes were upside down u's and Iruka smiled.**

"**Mr. Kakashi. C-can we go in now. Its cold. Brrrrrr!" Naruto shivered to display his feelings.**

"**Alright, alright. Lets go."**

**A gust of warm air met the trio as they entered the store. Naruto's eyes grew wide and shiny.**

"**Is this…what is this place. It is heaven?" he asked cutely, earning a smile from Iruka.**

'_**I'm..doing it. I'm being good so they won't be mad. Maybe they won't hit me or tie me in the….in the…'**_

**Naruto was swallowing to calm himself down when Iruka said, "You mean, "Is it heaven, don't you?"**

'_**Oh no…Oh no. I messed up I messed up I messed up. Now its gonna hurt. I have…to be safe.'**_

**His cerulean eyes became glassy chips of ice, not at all different from the eyes of a porcelain doll. Fear pumped adrenaline through his tiny body. He did the only thing he could think of. He ran.**

**Iruka was so startled that the boy's slender fingers slipped easily through his own.**

"**Naruto!" he shouted at the quickly retreating figure.**

**Said figure turned left down the last aisle and disappeared. Iruka was beyond worried. He began to wonder if it was something he had said.**

'_**He fears confrontation at all. He's obviously afraid that he will be hit or punished somehow. All I did was correct his sentence. He's going to need a lot of therapy to help him accept his past.'**_

**Kakashi mistook his boyfriend's silence for guilt; he reached over and, checking to make sure that there were no potential witnesses, slid his hand into Iruka's and gently squeezed it. This brought the younger man out of his stupor.**

"**Wha--?" **

**Iruka's face glowed and his eyes softened.**

"**Come on." he whispered, tugging Kakashi's hand. "Lets go find him."**

**Still clutching his hand, they ran down to the end of the aisle. Up ahead they could see the refrigerated section waiting for them. **

**Iruka tugged at the scarf around his neck. "I'm grateful to be wearing this."**

"**Why?"**

**The younger of the two shrugged. "The cold just tends to seep into me and then I can't get warm."**

**Kakashi's perversion took over. "I could think of a hundred things to do that would keep us both warm."**

"**Kakashi!" Iruka smacked the man, face growing a permanent scarlet flush.**

"**I meant well," he muttered, rubbing the fabric of his coat where Iruka's hand had previously hit.**

**Naruto was not on the next aisle. Or the next. Or the next. The men split up. Iruka went to check near toys while Kakashi searched over by the fruits and vegetables.**

"**Naruto…" Iruka called out softly, hoping not to further frighten the child. The first toy aisle was empty of the blonde-haired boy, but the second one held rows of plushie animals. It had an indescribable…a Naruto-like feel to it. Just as he was about to leave, he saw a tiny, grubby, peach-colored thing at the very end of the passageway. As he approached the object, he saw that it was, in fact, a small foot.**

"**Naruto?"**

**The foot jerked itself in quickly. Iruka smiled, was about to say, "Come out, come out, wherever you are," but then remembered the boy's hypersensitivity to anything spoken aloud. Instead he said, "I'm not going to hurt you. Can I come inside?"**

**The boy had propped up many walls of stuffed animals to create a sort of "hut" around himself.**

"**You have to say knock-knock first." came a reply muffled by beanie babies. **

**Iruka found him-self playing along and tapped on the stomach of a stuffed teddy bear.**

"**Knock knock."**

"**You have permission to enter, servant. Bow low before me and my awesome power!" **

**Luckily Iruka moved before Naruto sent his foot crashing into the back of the teddy bear; it flew across to the other side where it lay in quiet defeat on the floor. The child then jumped out, arms wide and eyes sparkling with happiness.**

"**Fear my ninja powers!" he yelled in his squeaky little voice.**

**The man chuckled at Naruto's silly behavior. **_**'Let him play his games. If he can act out his emotions like this, then its good for him. Still….I wonder if he has a mood disorder. He has many symptoms of bipolar disorder…He's different from Tobias, however.'**_

**Playing along, Iruka faked a frightened scream, which then made Naruto freeze in his tracks. Eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, he slowly moved until he was in front of Iruka. Throwing his arms out, he clung to Iruka's leg and whispered apologies.**

"…**I'm sorry…I'm sorry. I'm s-s-so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Naruto whimpered into the man's leg.**

**Iruka scooped the crying child into his arms and began to rock him back and forth, shushing him gently. Naruto looked at him with watery blue eyes.**

"**I'm sorry… ," he said. "Its bad to be scared. What are those?" **

**The timid voice was difficult to hear, but what Iruka heard made barbed wire rent through his heart. The child didn't even know what a toy was.**

"**If you want, pick one. They're called toys. If you pick one, I'll buy it for you."**

"**Buy…?" Naruto tilted. "That means something costs money. I'm not allowed things that cost money."**

'_**I hope I'm not going to get yelled at. I really don't want to get in trouble.' **_**Naruto's thoughts chased him around in his head. **_**'That's what this is. It's a test. That's all it is. I just have to pick the right one and I won't get in trouble.'**_

**Timorous blue eyes scanned row after row of plush animals. Suddenly his eyes caught on a bright orange fox of medium size. Slowly, as though he believed that he would be punished for choosing the wrong one, he reached out his bandaged arm and took hold of the kitsune's tail.**

"…**This one?" he asked rather than said.**

"**Is that the one you want?"**

"…**Hai…" **

"**Well, then. Lets go find Kakashi. Bring it with you so no one will take it while we look at clothes for you, okay?" Iruka's smile made Naruto feel more comfortable. **

**Iruka set Naruto down and they walked to the children's clothing aisle. Kakashi already waiting there and he had the lovely job of holding the plush fox while Naruto tried on many clothes. It wasn't necessary to speak a word; Kakashi knew how ridiculous he looked like cradling a stuffed animal in his arms.**

'_**Great. I get to look loopy in public. Oh well. Suppose its no different that reading Ichi Ichi Paradise near the playground benches.'**_

**Naruto needed a small in everything from shirts to shoes. He came out of the dressing room wearing a plain black shirt with a pair of deep navy pants. Iruka felt that the colors were too dark for his taste, but said nothing in order to avoid triggering another depressive episode.**

"**Is that what you like, Naruto?"**

"…**Hai…" he spoke shyly, twirling his fingers together.**

"**Good. Now, lets go pick out a jacket for you. You definitely need a jacket in this weather."**

**Once again dressed in an oversized shirt and a blanket cape, the trio traipsed down to the other side where there were a couple of jackets on clearance. **

"**This one!!" Naruto cried, jumping onto a hanger that held a brilliant orange and blue jacket as soon as he laid eyes on it. Of course the plastic hanger could not handle even Naruto's undernourished body, so it broke. He toppled to the floor in a heap of too-big jacket and laughter.**

"**Mine?" he tilted his head cutely to one side. **

**Iruka wouldn't dare voluntarily break the child's fragile smile, so he nodded.**

"**It looks sturdy, and it's large too. You'll have room to grow in this one, which means that it'll last longer. Lets go."**

**Iruka went to buy the outfits, but found himself short of cash.**

"**Naruto. We have to put one of the shirts back because I don't have — "**

"**He has enough. Don't worry, Naruto." Kakashi said as he thumbed through his wallet before passing a twenty to Iruka.**

"**I won't…" Iruka started to speak but was silenced by Kakashi shaking his head.**

"**You don't have to."**

**Naruto wordlessly listened to the two men talk while he slipped on a pair of new clothes in the back. His mouth twisted into a silent scream of pain as he accidentally tore the bandages from his skin on his right arm. **

'_**Oops…'**_

**The scratches began to bleed a little, but, having been in many similar situations before, knew exactly what to do. He held his left hand over the gauze and held it firmly. Red stains seeped through the compress, but it quickly stopped bleeding.**

**He slipped his poor excuse of underwear off, carefully slit the top open with a grubby nail, and removed a pair from the package. He rapidly drew them upwards while shivering at old memories that came back to haunt him. To distract himself from his thoughts, he began humming a little tune that sounded vaguely like something from Sesame Street.**

**He then tugged his pants on and zipped them up.**

"**Almost done!" he shouted cheerfully. After all, new clothes were something he was NOT used to. The clean well-fitting fabric felt sensational against his skin. Even his back wasn't bothering him for once; usually it itched like crazy due to the dirt constantly being rubbed into the wound.**

**A fully dressed Naruto reemerged from the back seat, complete with a brand new orange and blue jacket that almost made one want to shade his eyes against the overly bright hues. He settled stiffly upon Kakashi's lap as Iruka drove them home.**

"**No dresses?" his small question punctured the peaceful quiet.**

**Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt!! The car jolted to a halt. Both men looked at Naruto in amazement.**

"**Dresses?" came Kakashi's confused yet gentle voice.**

"**No, Naruto. Dresses are for girls. Did someone make you wear a dress?"**

**Naruto glared at them blankly. "That's none of your business. I wanna go home!"**

**He stuck his lip out in a cute pout, teasing a smile out of both men. It took some time before Iruka's nerves eventually calmed down. **

'_**He has been severely abused. Neglected. There is so much he has had to deal with…Yet, there remains that fragile smile. It needs to be polished….fixed…It needs to be made whole.**_

_**I wonder if I'm capable of that. There are so many kids….teenagers too…that have never found a home and they are just shipped from place to the next like damaged goods. No one wants them.'**_

**A tension-filled sight broke the silence. Kakashi observed Iruka from the corner of one eye.**

'_**He looks tired…worn out…. and stressed beyond belief. He's probably sensitive to the kid's issues because of all the other cases he's taken on as a social worker. But that look in his eyes. It's the look of guilt. Love…don't blame yourself. Please don't blame yourself.'**_

"**Focus on the road please." **

**Naruto's voice snapped Iruka out of his stupor.**

"**You're right." he laughed. "Wouldn't want to get into an accident."**

"**True, true." agreed Kakashi. **

**A pleasant quietude settled over the trio for the rest of the journey. Naruto was content with his clothes and his new toy, Iruka was tediously hanging over the edge of depression, and Kakashi was helpless to assist either. So he sat in silence, intent upon plotting a way to cheer his boyfriend up.**

**Every idea that came up was shot down by the remembrance of Iruka's hesitation. He didn't want to rush headlong into passionate lovemaking like so many couples often did in Ichi Ichi Paradise. That was fantasy. In reality, Kakashi found himself wanting to take things slowly. **

**The rest of the car ride was quite uneventful. Naruto insisted upon carrying the bags of clothes inside once the vehicle was parked.**

"**I'm going to carry them. They're mine…aren't they?"**

"**Yes." Iruka said through a sigh.**

**Snow had begun to fall again. For a moment, they all stood outside in the fallout of winter.**

**Suddenly Naruto piped up. "Was I bad Iruka? Is that why you're sad?"**

**Iruka put on the best fake smile he could. He couldn't bear to mention that the flashbacks of his past were coming back with fervent intensity. It just hurt too much. The last thing he wanted to do was burden Naruto further. Past damage had already warped his childish mind with nightmarish things. What would this do to him? **

**Kakashi wasn't fooled. He knew something was wrong and felt committed to learning what it was. **

"**Okay!! Lets go. And Superman flies away. Neowrrrr. Boom, boom, boom!! Take that, evildoers. I will protect the innocent from you bad people!!" Naruto stood jumping up and down until Kakashi unlocked the door. He ran inside and leapt onto the couch. Stuffing the bag of clothes beneath the couch cushion, he regarded both men with a solemn expression. The he burst into a fit of laughter.**

'_**I just have to be silly-happy. Then Mr. Iruka and Mr. Kakashi will stay happy and I won't get into trouble. That's all I have to do.'**_

**Iruka gave a small smile as he shut the door. He immediately went into Kakashi's bedroom to lie down. But it seemed like with consecutive blink, more memories came back. If he was crying, he didn't know it. The world around him blurred and he was back to being a child. Back to dealing with issues that he'd never really come face to face with. Back with a hysterical mother and a distant father. Back to feeling alone with his constantly dropping grades and self-injury.**

**He felt a slight pressure on his wrist and flinched. The universe warped again; Kakashi's concerned face came into view and Iruka noticed the hot tears building at the corner of his eyes. In a myriad of thoughts, only one really got through to him.**

"**Kuso." he said and began crying.**

**Kakashi immediately picked up on his lover's distress and came to an obvious conclusion. He needed to do something, anything, to calm Iruka down. He settled for gently caressing Iruka's back and letting the man cry into his sweater.**

**Iruka lay for a while, still unsure of what was happening. He couldn't feel much of anything. It was as though he were floating in a pure white purgatory. He squeezed his eyes shut. He wasn't ready to face reality again.**

**Kakashi lay with Iruka until he fell asleep, emotionally worn out and still crying although unconscious. Slowly the tears stopped trickling down his face. The older man sat up, playing with a strand of Iruka's hair until he was sure he was truly asleep. **

"**Naruto." he called softly.**

**The boy peeked his head inside the room timidly.**

"**Come on, Naruto. Lets take a nap."**

**He crept across the room and climbed deftly onto the bed. Naruto curled into a ball on top of his brand new jacket even though he wasn't tired. He tucked his new kitsune plush beneath the covers and looked expectantly at Kakashi.**

**The man nodded in approval, earning a brilliant smile from Naruto. The child scooted over until he could nestle beside Iruka. Kakashi held Iruka's head in his lap and waited until the blond was fast asleep before closing his eyes. He let one hand play absently with another lock of his boyfriend's chocolate hair.**

'_**You have a lot to explain when you wake up, love…A lot to explain. Hopefully I can help.'**_

**Meanwhile, a stifled whimper sounded through a pile of thick fabric. Another nightmare began extending its claws around Naruto's mind.**

**Okay. I know I cut this chapter short, but I had to get something out there for you guys to read. I' think I'm back in my writing mode and I already have ideas for the next chapter. Woohoo. We might just meet Sasuke in the next chapter. I haven't decided on whether or not I should make a small time-skip. Thinking about it though. I'd love to hear what you all have to say about this chapter. Oh yeah, and by the way, I am trying to keep my story as congruent as I possibly can, so if you see an error somewhere, feel free to let me know. I want to improve my writing.**


	6. Love

**Hello everyone. I bet you didn't expect me to update so soon, but like I said, I had ideas. 'Into the Darkness' has also been updated (chapter 15) for those of you who read some of my other fan-fiction. Here is the part I'm sure most of you have been waiting for. The…Hah! As if I were going to tell you. Read to find out and be prepared for some fluff.**

**Disclaimer: Naruto and all other licensed characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**I'm just borrowing them for a wee bit.**

**Chapter 6. Love**

**Deep blue curtains smothered all light trying to enter through the window, leaving the bedroom warm and dim. Inside, two men and a boy lay asleep, all but one peacefully. **

**Naruto's face contorted as he ran from the demons in his head. They growled fiercely, memories dribbling from their lips like an acidic green poison.**

"**Noooo!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs and exploded from his comfortable position on the bed.**

**Then he screwed his eyes up tightly. Rubbed them. Stared at the empty black walls around him.**

'_**Wait a minute…this isn't the right room. Where am I?'**_

**Two shadowy figures rose before him. Terror rooted him to the spot like a deer caught in the headlights. His heart beat rapidly beneath his chest, almost as if it were playing hopscotch with his ribcage. Ready to scream, he slowly backed away until he felt the cool smooth wall behind him.**

"**P-p-please." he begged, collapsing into a ball of misery and tears. "I d-don't wanna go back in the c-c-closet. No!!"**

**The monster's eyes began to glow from white to the purple of a plum. Dark intentions swam behind its slitted black pupils that were almost lost among the deep violet irises. **

**Naruto woke up, panting and slick with sweat. This time he had escaped from the dream world. One of the reasons he feared falling asleep was that the demons came when he was asleep. Shaped in the form of his previous abusers, their haunting laugh would echo through him and it turned his blood to ice every time. Reality and dreams were combined into a myriad of voices, pain, and abuse.**

**For a moment he sat with his ears perked to hear the softest of noises. He heard a bang so loud that it actually made him jump.**

"**What's going on?" **

**Neither Iruka nor Kakashi responded. Slowly Naruto turned to see their sleeping forms touching each other in a gesture that suggested comfort.**

"**They're both sleeping," he told himself. "So what am I supposed to do right now? I guess…Hmm. I could go outside and play!!"**

**Naruto shrugged happily into his brand new jacket before venturing into the outside world. He shut the door behind him and ran out into the falling snow. The coat kept the frigid wind out with expertise. Crunch, crunch, crunch went his footsteps in the snow.**

**As he built the foundation of a snowman, a moving van sidled up the street and stopped just across from Kakashi's house; a sleek engine black Camaro was trailing behind it. The larger vehicle's brakes let out a loud hiss, startling Naruto. He looked up just in time to see the back of the truck open.**

**A black-haired boy seemingly around his age climbed out of the Camaro, followed by a teenager with matching hair in a ponytail. Naruto frowned. The man's mouth was moving and the little boy nodding. Just then the man pointed straight at him.**

**Instantly a choking alarm seized at him. He clutched his stomach and tried to breathe regularly. Like the childhood nightmare demons from his dreams, his past had taught him that vans only brought trouble and pain. He had the still healing wound on his back to prove it. **

**Panicking, he fell down and tried to bury himself in a pile of snow. Cold wet stuff fell into the hood of jacket where it melted from his body heat and slid down his back. He was rolling around in the snow spluttering and gasping when he felt something warm touch his face.**

**Petrified of what might happen next, he froze in his spot and attempted to cover his neck with his thin arms.**

"**Are you okay? Hey…Hey!! Aniki!" a boy's fearful voice shouted.**

**The words were too far away for Naruto to understand, but he heard the familiar rapid crunch-crunch of footsteps on snow. **

"**Quiet, Sasuke." an older, definitely male voice spoke.**

"**I…w-who are you?" Naruto's trembling voice met their ears. "I'm okay. I'm g-good. Please...Don't hurt me."**

**Naruto continued to cough erratically in fear. Gasping for air, he doubled over and put his head into the snow. He bit his arm fiercely and a calm swept over him.**

**The older man lifted Naruto up and set him down gently upon the ground. Tearful cerulean eyes met concerned sable ones and blinked in wonder at the kind behavior.**

"**Hi!" said the boy through his tears. "I'm Naruto. Who're you?"**

**The barest hint of a smile flickered across the older man's face. The boy called Sasuke responded with a cheery "Hello."**

"**We're moving in across from you guyses." Sasuke continued.**

"**Its rude of you to speak impolitely. I am Uchiha Itachi, Itachi-san will do for you, Naruto, and this here is my otouto."**

"**I'm Sasuke!!" the black-haired boy shouted.**

**Naruto tilted his head closer to Sasuke and eyed his hair intently.**

"**Your hair isn't really black." he stated his observation with satisfaction. "It's got purplish and bluish colors in it. Just like a raven's feather. It's so pretty!"**

**Sasuke eyeballed him seriously for a moment before bursting into laughter.**

"**I never thought about it that way. Hey, Nii-san. May I play here while you unpack?"**

"**Absolutely not, Sasuke. You must help too, unless you wish your belongings to end up in the wrong order."**

"**No!!" Sasuke stuck out his tongue. "You're not being fair. Sorry, Naruto, but I have to go help Aniki move in. Here. Give me your arm."**

**Naruto pulled up his jacket sleeve with difficulty. "Here."**

**Itachi's black eyes narrowed at the sign of the bloodstained bandages on the child's arm. Sasuke gasped and said, "What happened to your arm?"**

**Naruto frowned as he picked at the gauze. "I don't remember," he answered finally, expression turbulent with unreadable emotions.**

"**Let us go, Sasuke. You can play with Naruto-kun later. Take care." **

**Itachi let Sasuke ride on the back of his shoulders across the street. Naruto watched the brothers' figures longingly.**

"**But I have Mr. Iruka and Mr. Kakashi…" he whispered to himself.**

'_**Still…I wish I could play with Sasuke. I wish someone would let me ride on their shoulders. I wish someone would be close to me instead of hurting me.'**_

**Naruto shook away the thoughts before they could further leach his self-esteem. Then he remembered the dirty bandages and decided that since Iruka and Kakashi were still asleep, he would have to change them himself.**

**Back inside the warmth made his jacket unbearably hot. He slid it off and snuck on tiptoes to the kitchen. The first-aid kit was directly in front of a row of towels in a drawer beside the refrigerator. He grabbed it and sat himself down on a chair near the trashcan.**

**As he unwrapped the bloody gauze, he saw the damage that the bite had done. All around the indented mark were scratches where the scabs had been torn off.**

'_**Ew. That looks really gross. Almost like the time I spilled hot water on my hand. Oh well.'**_

**With a strangely candid smile he washed the wounds and dressed them up again. After that, he sat listening to the clock for five seconds before deciding that he was bored. So, as all nine-year-olds do when bored, he got up to explore.**

**He memorized the location of everything in the house, occasionally reaching out to feel something. From this he learned that toilet paper wasn't always rough, beds were made of giant fluffy pillows covered with blankets, and that good-tasting food actually existed in the refrigerator.**

**Just then his stomach growled as he was walking into the living room again. With a grin, he traveled to the kitchen.**

**He had just poured a package of ramen noodles into the pot when Kakashi came in. Trailing behind him was a sleepy Iruka. They looked at each other, unsure of how to approach Naruto in a way that wouldn't cause him to beat his head against a wall again.**

**Finally, Iruka said, "Hey there, Naruto. You know, you didn't have to be out here alone. You could have woken one of us up."**

**When Naruto turned around his expression was smooth and controlled.**

"**Go back inside." he told them. "It's supposed to be a surprise."**

**Eyeballing Iruka with an odd look on his face, he turned and went back to the bedroom, but the younger man stayed.**

"**Naruto. I can't leave you out here unattended. You might accidentally burn yourself or spill hot water on your arms. I don't want you to get hurt."**

"**Okay! You can stay. Just sit down and close your eyes.**

**Outside, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Snow fell thickly, piling on top of window and making many people miserable. The descent of darkness made it nearly impossible to see anything at all. Iruka glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that it was already approaching 7-o-clock.**

"**I'm done, Mr. Iruka. Could you get me a…a….those oval-shaped thingies again, please?"**

"**You mean a bowl?" he replied while retrieving one from the cabinet beside the sink. "Here you go."**

**Naruto accepted the bowl with childish glee. Apparently ramen was one of his favorite foods and so he tended to eat a lot of it. At least, that's what Iruka thought after watching him practically inhale a sixth bowl of the salty beef-flavored noodles.**

"**Where does it all go?" he wondered bemusedly. **

**He got up to shut the curtains; the view of ever-piling snow was depressing enough without having to look at the dreary night.**

"**You know, Mr. Iruka. I met someone today while you were sleeping."**

**It took every last ounce of Iruka's strength not to interrogate where, when, why, and that talking to strangers was very bad indeed. He took time to take a careful sip of broth and relax.**

**Naruto was obviously unharmed, which meant that whoever he'd met had had no desire to injure or maim him in any way.**

"**His name was Sasuke-chan and he's moving in across the street! He has a brother too. Mr. Itachi-san. I didn't see Sasuke-chan's otou or okaa-san anywhere. I don't think he has one." Naruto whispered sadly.**

**Iruka felt that old familiar tug on his heartstrings. How could one child, forced through the trials and tribulations of abuse, still have so much empathy for another child more fortunate than himself? He didn't know how it was possible. Still marveling at this gesture of utmost sympathy, he took another sip.**

"**Really?" he asked. "Did you have fun."**

**Naruto hastily shook his head. "We had lotsa fun." he said cutely while bouncing on the couch. "And he wanted to play, but Mr. Itachi-san said that he had to go help unpack. Do you think he could be a…a….Oh, never mind. Its getting dark. Where's Mr. Kakashi?"**

'**Squeak, squeak, squeak' went the sofa as he bounced.**

**Spreading his wings out wide, he leapt off of the furniture in a single bound and hit the floor on his stomach. Iruka winced but the child seemed to give no further thought to it. Just then Kakashi walked in, a book of questionable origins in his mind. He had the air of one who kept secrets and hid them well.**

"**Oh….Kakashi. Where did you get that **_**book **_**from?" he placed heavy emphasis on the word 'book'.**

"**Who, me?" he feigned innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I just brought this from my house. Besides…" he looked about quickly. "Isn't it time for Naruto to be getting his bath?"**

"**NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" the dark-clad child vanished down the hallway almost before one could blink.**

"**Kakashi!?!" Iruka let out a groan of exasperation. "There was hardly any need for that."**

"**So." he replied, closing the distance between them swiftly to kiss his lover gently on the lips.**

**It wasn't a long kiss, just one long enough to convey an apology and ask for forgiveness. Iruka replied by kissing him back boldly, though when he was done he was quite red in the face.**

**Still blushing hotly, he suggested they find Naruto together. Kakashi agreed and went off to one end while Iruka covered from the kitchen down to the spare bedroom.**

**All the time Kakashi kept thinking, **_**'How hard can it be to find a nine-year old?'**_

**Later, as they were completing a third thorough sweep of the house, he regretted ever asking himself the question.**

**Naruto wasn't in the dryer. Nor was he behind the toilet or in the shower stall. The space below the computer screen was entirely devoid of a certain blond-haired child's presence.**

**Kakashi felt the Icha Icha Paradise book calling to him from inside his sweater pocket. Like a throbbing heartbeat, the explicit novel was vital to his survival, or so he felt. It had saved his life in the hospital. And it was **_**autographed.**_

**A stream of drool trickled down his cheeks. One thousand fantasies sped through his mind. Iruka didn't notice his passing out due to a massive nosebleed because he was busy checking beneath the kitchen sink for the fifth time.**

**When Iruka tripped over the unconscious body of his lover, he only sighed in humorous exasperation. Shutting the little romance novel while muttering about perverted men and their stupid porno, he stood up again. Just then an idea came to him. One as forbidden and condemned as it was torrid.**

**The couch cushions felt good against his now-sore back. He glanced quickly at Kakashi to make sure he was still unconscious before flipping to the first page. He hadn't gotten to the second paragraph before a wad of bloody tissues accompanied him in an attempt to stifle a raging nosebleed.**

'_**Ichigo licked Meika's dusky nipple until it was pert before parting her legs and quickly…'**_

**Iruka's shaking hands dropped the book as if it were a living creature that'd somehow managed to bite him severely on the knuckles.**

"**Never again…" he muttered, placing the little orange novel of unconceivable terrors beside Kakashi's unmoving form. "…Never again….'**

**His face was still deathly pale when Kakashi came too, immediately noticing the pallid hue of Iruka's skin. **

"**What's wrong, Iruka?" he touched Iruka's cheek.**

"**That…porn…" **

'_**Did he look at my Ichi Ichi Paradise after I passed out…Oh kami…I think I may have traumatized him. I never should have taken that book out.'**_

**He comforted Iruka the way might one comfort a small child who was frightened by a monster in their closet. "There, there." patting Iruka on the knee. "Its all over now."**

**Iruka seemed to snap out of his fear-induced coma because he looked at Kakashi and stated quite clearly, "I never want to see that repulsive object in this house again."**

**Kakashi was taken aback by the sudden assertion. Him? Give up something as wonderfully explicit and pornographic enough to damage brain cells? Did a personality such as his exist without Icha Icha Paradise? No way. It could never be done. But…for Iruka. For someone who loved him? Could he give up something that meant so much to him for that person?**

"**Alright." he said softly.**

**With utmost reluctance and the willingness to please his new boyfriend, he gathered up the expensive, autographed Icha Icha book into his arms. It was about to make a permanent stop at Dumpster City when a tan hand rescued it from certain doom.**

"**Kakashi, you don't have to give up your books for me. Just read them elsewhere. And don't leave them any place where I can find them." he finished rather sheepishly.**

**The wave of drama had passed with neither man suffering lifelong injuries. Now all that was left was to locate a missing blond-haired nine-year-old. That too was resolved quickly when Naruto popped his grinning head out from beneath the impossibly small space between the couch and the floor.**

"**Here I am!! You never found me, so does that mean I don't have to take a bath?"**

**Kakashi and Iruka just eyeballed each other before speaking simoultaneously.**

"**No, Naruto. You still have to take a bath."**

**Naruto's face wrinkled up in obvious displeasure. Cerulean orbs observed them vigilantly for any signs of anger or annoyance. Finding none, he gave a small smile of relief.**

"…**Okay!" he shouted behind him as he ran off again, this time to the bathroom to wait for them.**

"**I'll stay in here. You can give him a bath." Kakashi said, bringing a hand to his bruised stomach. "I know he apologized and I know he didn't mean it, but its still sore. Besides, you have a way with him, Iruka."**

**Iruka took Kakashi's words into consideration. "Alright." he said.**

"**Just call if you need me." **

"**Right."**

**When Iruka walked in, Naruto had already stripped himself of all clothing except his underwear. The boy held his arms out and kept quiet while he removed the crusty-looking bandages from his back.**

"**It's looking better, Naruto. Can you tell me what happened to your back? How did you get this enormous scrape?"**

**The flat expression on Naruto's face told him that the answer was no. Cold cobalt eyes gazed icily into Iruka's own chocolate orbs. A profound sorrow radiated deeply from them and he found himself wanting to cry.**

"**I was…" he started, but a glassy look overcame his eyes and was unable to continue. "S-Sorry." he said at last, depression evident in his voice.**

**With tears in his eyes, Iruka hugged Naruto tightly, stroking the child's soft blond hair as he cried into the man's lap.**

"**I'm..hic…s-s-sorry, Mr. 'Ruka."**

"**Come on, now." Iruka said while wiping the waterworks away from Naruto's face. He pushed Naruto further down on his lap and smiled through his own tears. "You're here and you're with us. We'll take care of you. And I promise," he said, using a finger to flick away a stray tear. ",that no matter what, nothing bad will ever happen to you here. Now, what do you say we get you all clean and in nice new pajamas?"**

**Naruto hopped down from the man's lap and experimentally put one toe in the water. Apparently he found it to his liking because the next thing Iruka knew he was soaking wet; Naruto had leapt into the warm bathwater with enthusiasm. **

"**Aye…" Iruka couldn't help but chuckle as he used his sleeve to mop the water from his face. "Was that really necessary, Naruto?" he said teasingly.**

**He couldn't bear to wipe the smile from the child's face, so rarely was the occasion that he actually did find him genuinely happy. Naruto was busy playing with the washcloth of which he was no longer afraid of now that Iruka had taught him that it was utterly harmless. He made it fly through the air before mimicking the sound of an explosion.**

"**Neorrrrrrrrrrrr! Ca-pow!! SPLASH!" **

**Iruka chuckled inwardly as the blond continued to play. He soon found his wet clothes unbearable and wanted to change, but didn't want to let the child alone for a moment in case something happened.**

"**Wash your hair, Naruto." he yawned. "It's almost bed time soon."**

"**Wow…." Naruto's mouth was an O of surprise. "You mean I get an actual, real bed? Those giant fluffy pillow things covered in blankets?"**

"**Hai. Now, lets go. Wait!" he cried as Naruto stepped out of the tub. "You forgot to rinse your hair, silly. Unless you actually want to go to bed with bubbles in your hair."**

**Naruto dunked his head under the water and came back up quickly, spattering Iruka with yet more water.**

'_**At this rate, I might as well take a shower myself. Oh boy…'**_

**The child quickly dried himself off and slipped cheerfully into a pair of blue pajamas with tiny orange kitsunes all over them.**

"**Done!" he called, allowing Iruka to open his eyes.**

**Naruto ran off to entertain Kakashi with his tales of defeating the giant washcloth monster of doom by squirting shampoo into its many eyes. Meanwhile, Iruka quickly changed into boxers, green flannel pants, and a plain white t-shirt. He attempted to brush his hair but there were too many tangles for him to bother with so he put it up in a short ponytail.**

**He walked out of the restroom to see Kakashi and Naruto in an animated discussion about whether peppermint or Lily-of-the-Valley fragrance was best to use after taking a really smelly crap in the toilet. Iruka merely rolled his eyes as Naruto pointed out that leaving behind the smell of peppermint in the bathroom after using it was just too plain obvious.**

"**Toilet rooms should smell like flowers. It fully masks the odor while leaving a fragrant scent of nice flowers that would make people want to use it again. Peppermint just says "I took a big dump and couldn't find anything but this crappy spray to use to erase the smell." and that's just plain gross!" Naruto finished with a giggle.**

"**But peppermint is generally cheaper while basically accomplishing the same task, which is to eliminate the foul smell of excrement and create a feasible distraction from it."**

**Naruto's eyes went wide as the comprehension of Kakashi's sentence flew by him.**

"**I win!" the silver-haired man said simply.**

"**No fair!" Naruto stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. "You used big words, cheater! I'm only nine!"**

**Iruka almost didn't have the heart to interrupt their little argument, but the clock was fast approaching nine-o-clock and he wanted to start Naruto on a routine.**

"**Bed time, Naruto. Come on, I'll tuck you in."**

**Naruto got up to follow him, looking back only once to stick his tongue out on Kakashi, who mirrored the process.**

"**Are you gonna stay here until I fall asleep. Mr. Iruka?" Naruto climbed under the covers, waiting eagerly for an answer.**

"**Of course. I won't let anything hurt you, okay. Do you have bad dreams?"**

**Naruto's expression turned solemn. In a grave voice he replied, "Yes."**

"**Well, then. I'll teach you a trick that my mother taught me whenever I had a nightmare. If something scary comes to get you…" he paused as Naruto swallowed nervously. "You squeeze your hand and say: Nightmare, Nightmare, You can't get me. I'm as safe as I can be." and think of something soft."**

**Naruto tilted his head to one side to watch the man. "You mean like….like pillows?"**

"**Yeah." Iruka nodded. "Like pillows. I'll tell you a secret. Monsters…they are afraid of pillows. They're afraid of all fuzzy warm things. So if you bring a pillow into you dreams, they will go away quick as lightning."**

**The boy watched him with awe.**

"**Sweet!" he said after a moment's silence. "Then my monsters are gonna get their asses handed to them on a shining silver platter!"**

**Iruka nearly choked. "Who taught you to say that, Naruto."**

"**Kakashi." was the simple reply.**

'_**Right…Well, I'll have to have a talk with him later, that's for sure. I can't have him teaching Naruto to say things like that. He might start school son, depending on what tests say in relation to his adaptability to social situations and environments.'**_

"…**z..z..z..."**

**Iruka looked down and saw that Naruto was already fast asleep, tiny fist clutching at the pillow beside him. A smile flitted across his face in pure amazement. Naruto had been through so much, shuffled through foster home after foster home, repeatedly abused, both sexually and physically, and yet…somehow he retained innocence like a sponge. His eyes held knowledge beyond his years, yet he'd previously been afraid of a washcloth. **

"**I don't know, Naruto…I just don't know…"**

"…**Don't know what, 'Ru-chan."**

"**Enough with the silly nickname, Kakashi." Iruka spoke to the man behind him without turning.**

"**Sorry. It's stuck to you now. Bwah-ha-ha."**

**Smack! went the pillow against Kakashi's face. **

"**You're a dork, you know that."**

"**I'm your dork." Kakashi replied somewhat testily, but Iruka knew that he was just feigning annoyance. "And besides, you never answered my question."**

**Iruka felt a tug at his hair before it foofed out behind him. "What're you doing?"**

"**I like your hair."**

**He sighed deeply as gentle yet firm fingers began to massage the base of his scalp, gently detangling his hair in the process.**

"…**thafeelsgood…" he murmered as Kakashi continued his small ministrations.**

**Kakashi pulled Iruka's head around and placed a soft kiss on the man's lips. Hesitantly Iruka parted his lips, but Kakashi went no further. Questioningly he pulled away, confusion evident in his deep brown eyes.**

"**I'm not going to rush things with you, Ru-chan. I'm going to do this right. Whenever you're ready to go further, that's fine. Don't ever feel like you need to do something just to make me happy, ok—"**

**Kakashi's were cut short by a mildly passionate kiss.**

"**You shouldn't always assume that I'm going to be the uke, either, Kashi-chan."**

"**Uh-oh." Kakashi faked a worrisome expression. "Enough playing around. Come on. We both look like idiots laying here on the floor like this. At least let me finish your hair on the bed?"**

**They both moved to the bed, kissing twice in the process. Iruka sat between Kakashi's legs, practically purring like a content kitten as the man proceeded to detangle his hair. Closing his eyes, Iruka felt himself melting against the other man. He felt that even more so after Kakashi slid a warm hand beneath his shirt and began to stroke his abs.**

**Iruka wasn't quite sure when he fell asleep resting against Kakashi's chest, but either way it was one of the best nights of sleep he'd ever had.**

**Alright, alright. I know many of you probably remembered that Iruka was an orphan in the anime, but it doesn't have to be that way here and he wasn't always an orphan. He didn't grow up an orphan if you get what I'm trying to say. Woot!! And we met Sasuke and Itachi in this story, had some fluff to satisfy the readers. I also know a few of you might be eager for some smutty goodness, so if you are, you might want to stop reading here. I'm trying to make the development of this relationship as realistic as I possibly can. Looking forward to reviews – Bottlecaps.**


	7. Flames

**Hello everyone. I sincerely apologize for the super late update. With semester exams going on, I've been really busy. And with everything else in life bothering the crud out of me, I've been fairly annoyed to the point of shoving my muse into my backpack amongst my billions of school assignments. Well, she's back with a vengeance now so I present chapter seven of 'Where the Heart Is'.**

**Disclaimer: I... I... I want Itachi!! But no, I don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 7. Down In Flames**

Naruto's surprise sat forgotten on the stove. The salty odor of noodles and shrimp soaking in a brackish solvent hovered in the air. Neither Iruka nor Kakashi had taken notice of the pot sitting on the stove with the burner turned not quite completely off. And so the odor continued to waft throughout the house, settling down upon the furniture like a fine veil of mist.

The pot began to bubble. Yellow froth rose higher and higher, encroaching upon the rim until at last it spilt over onto the countertop. The steaming liquid cascaded down the side of stove and stained the white floor tiles. Nearby, an open window let chilly air enter the house. A gust blew several opened bill statements to the burner where they caught fire almost immediately.

A fierce little conflagration sent curls of smoke into the air. The carpet caught next as the bills fluttered to the floor in another breeze. Yellow, red, and orange flames began crawling across the snowy carpet with a voracious appetite. Naruto, Iruka, and Kakashi all lay asleep in the bedroom, completely oblivious to the fire spreading rapidly through the house, ignorant to the growing danger.

Within five minutes the spare bedroom, the kitchen, and three quarters of the living room had been consumed in the fire's wrath. Kakashi coughed in his sleep, inhaling thick grey smoke. He woke, his mind fuzzy, and blinked blearily in the dim light. Why was it so dark? Why were rolling puffs of gray clouds oozing in through the door? And then he smelled the smoke.

"Iruka!!" he nearly shouted, but a cool calm had collected like a puddle inside his head.

He had to get everybody awake and out of the house now. The silver-haired man drew his shirt up over his mouth and shook Iruka's shoulder hard, but Iruka didn't stir.

"Iruka, wake up. Naruto...wake up. There's a fire."

Iruka sat up and gasped, coughing heavily. He was breathing in large amounts of smoke and his throat was sore from the ashy dust in the air. A hand on his back was not enough to stop the panic rising inside him.

"Oh Kami..." he groaned.

"Iruka lets go. Naruto, wake up."

Kakashi glanced down just in time to see Naruto bolt down between his legs and skitter off down into the hallway.

"Wait!" he cried out, but Naruto was already gone, his small form lost in the ever-thickening smoke.

The fire had consumed the entire living room and was starting to eat its way towards the center. Naruto laid under the couch, terror rattling every limb in his body. He was too afraid to cry.

'_What do they know, eh?' _the teasing voice flew into his mind uninvited.

'_They'll save themselves. They don't care about you.'_

"Shut up!"

Naruto covered his ears as malicious laughter rang through his head.

"Nononononononono...P-P-Please...I don't want the closet. Not the closet. I've been good."

'_No. You're a bad boy, little Naruto. A bad, bad boy...And the worst kind of bad boy is a boy who doesn't do what he's told. Don't you remember what Daddy taught you? You'll have to be punished.'_

Silent tears streamed down his dirt-streaked face, creating narrow clean trails across his cheeks. A bitter-tasting liquid rose in his throat and he spat it out onto the ground. Frustrated, sick at heart, and feeling more alone than ever before, he waited for the fire to claim his very soul.

"Kakashi. We have...cough...to get Naruto. Cough..."

"We have to get out of here." Kakashi told Iruka sternly.

"But..."

"No buts. Lets go."

Kakashi felt his heart nearly stop as he saw the pained expression on his lover's face. Naruto was nowhere to be found and the room was blisteringly hot. But sacrificing one life would not save them both if they didn't leave now. Ready to fracture under the stress, the silver-haired man pulled Iruka up and swung him onto his back. And then...he ran.

Beads of sweat trickled down his face as he carried Iruka into the blazing hallway. He kicked the door open, knocking it off its hinges in the process, and released the other adult once they were safely outside. The younger man turned to run back inside but Kakashi crushed him in a tight hug.

"You can't...love...You can't."

The whispered words did little to help Iruka. He fell limp against Kakashi, sobbing into his arms while the elder held him on his feet.

"Excuse me." came a soft yet somehow deep voice. "I've already alerted the fire department and they will be arriving as quickly as possible. Due to weather conditions it may be some time, but you've nothing to stress over for now."

Kakashi glanced into a pair of liquid ebony eyes and took in the pale face behind them. The man's skin was nearly as white as the snow itself and pitch-black hair fell in a straight line over one eye while the rest hung back behind his head in a low ponytail. He was dressed in only a casual pair of blue jeans and a tight fitting black leather jacket.

"Aniki. What's going on?"

A small child looking to be around nine or ten years old with matching hair and eyes like dusky coal appeared from behind them all. Kakashi heard the man sigh.

"I thought I repeatedly asked you to remain within the confines of the house. You becoming ill would do me no good at all. Please return at once."

At the sound of the child's voice, Iruka began to sob even harder. Every so now and then he would cough vehemently.

"Please excuse me for not introducing myself. I am Uchiha Itachi and this is my younger brother, Sasuke. We've just moved into the house across the street. Is he going to be alright?" he asked, black eyes focused on the coughing man.

Kakashi gave a strained smile as they both bowed. "I don't know. Smoke inhalation, probably." he said and sighed. "Unfortunately, our...our kid is still inside. He took off in fear when I woke him."

The raven-haired man took in their position and his black eyes seemed to draw a conclusion from it. But it didn't bother him. It wasn't that he liked men. He just didn't like women and had scant time to develop a real relationship. He was...lets face it...a workaholic.

"The blonde-haired one, am I correct?" Itachi questioned softly.

Kakashi nodded in reply, wondering how the man knew Naruto.

"Not to worry. I'll go get him, Aniki."

Before Itachi could react, Sasuke was running towards the flaming building with all the carefree curiosity of a nine-year-old.

"SASUKE!" Itachi's sudden explosive voice fell on deaf ears as Sasuke disappeared through the smoky doorway.

Smoke was pouring out through the doors and the windows and the snap-crackle-snap of burning beams filled the air. Part of the roof collapsed. Golden embers spiraled skyward.

"NARUTO!!" Iruka dropped to his knees. "No!"

A choking gasp escaped his lips along with a bright red spray of blood.

"Iruka!"

"Everybody is calling each other's names," muttered Itachi with a hint of dry humor.

Kakashi bent down beside his lover as the man continued to cough. Crimson droplets splattered the snow. Chocolate eyes glazed with pain were alight with worry and fear.

...

"Naruto!!"

Little Sasuke found himself struggling to breathe in the swelteringly hot room. Sweat poured down his face. Unafraid, he wondered into the flaming living room and went into the bedroom just as the roof began collapsing.

Embers swirled up around him in a glowing orange haze. A few ashes touched his skin, causing him to cry out in pain as they burned his arms. A cinder touched his cheek with a feathery light kiss; Sasuke immediately brushed it off, leaving a smudge of black in its wake.

Just then a beam came crashing down behind Sasuke. He dove forward to avoid it but it fell upon his leg. A bloodcurdling shriek resounded through the flaming house.

"Sasuke..." Itachi's elegant face was slightly contorted by fear and worry.

...

Naruto felt the first flames licking at the back of his legs. He sighed.

'_I deserve this. I deserve to die for being so bad and messing up everybody's life.'_

The blond boy bit his lip and started to cry, wishing the world away inside his head. He was almost to a place of complete oblivion when he heard a loud scream over the roaring flames. He scrambled out from beneath the couch, not caring that the backs of his legs were covered in second and third degree burns.

He made his way through the flame-gilded doorway and saw the boy from his earlier adventure in the snow on the floor trapped beneath a glowing orange pillar. Sasuke had long since passed out from the pain. Naruto gasped.

"S-S-Sasuke."

Without thinking he reached down and pushed the beam away from Sasuke. His hands were seared bloody and blistered in a matter of seconds. Pushing the pain away like so many times before, he grabbed Sasuke's hand and heaved the unconscious boy to his feet, Sasuke swayed, groaning softly as Naruto struggled to drag him out through the front door.

Outside a yellow and white fire truck had pulled up with red and white flashing lights. Voices drifted through the lightly falling snow. Several men appeared from either side, four of them carrying two hoses in pairs. They aimed them at the house while another man came running towards the trio.

"Is everyone out?" he asked sounding rather breathless.

Kakashi shook his head.

"There are two boys trapped insi—"

"Otou-san!!" cried a small, fearful voice.

Kakashi whipped his head around faster than a bullet train and saw a blond-haired boy half-carrying, half-dragging a darker-haired boy through the open door just as the house finally caved in on itself. Ashes were sent flying across the skies to be swept away by the icy wind.

A fireman ran and picked up the small boys effortlessly and carried them away from the burning pile that was all that remained of Kakashi's home. For the first time since they'd escaped, reality sank its razor-sharp teeth into the silver-haired man. His home was _gone. _It hit home deeply, tearing a wound into his fragile heart that had only just begun to heal.

He hugged Iruka tightly, too afraid of losing the ones he now cherished with all of his heart and soul to let go.

An ambulance had arrived while the two were embracing and Naruto and Sasuke were being strapped securely to stretchers. Kakashi was helped up even as Iruka coughed up more blood. A dark stream trickled out of the corner of his mouth.

"Come with us." the dark-eyed man spoke intently.

Kakashi and Iruka were led to another ambulance where they were taken inside on stretchers.

"Will we be going to the same hospital?" he asked while trying to sit up.

An oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and nose and he was told to breathe deeply. The same was done for Iruka though it looked as though the man was having difficulty breathing.

"Relax." said the man. "You're in good hands."

He strapped a thick cord around the edge of the yellow stretcher to keep it from shifting as they rode and did the same for Iruka's.

Kakashi tried to relax. He was on the verge of tears, hovering on the edge of some indefinable abyss, but something prevented him from crying. Hatake Kakashi had cried few times in his life, but they had been genuine moments of sorrow. Nothing he'd ever felt before could compare to this empty, hollow feeling that threatened to engulf him.

He shut his eyes and rested his head against the cool plastic of the stretcher. He just wanted to sleep and not wake up for a while.

...

Naruto felt himself drifting off into sleep as he rode upon a woozy ocean of pain and sedatives that the paramedic had given him. The man watched him nod off with a worried expression on his face.

"Stay with us, kid." he said before turning to the other unconscious boy beside him.

The putrid smell of burnt flesh was enough to make anyone gag, but the paramedic had seen many things in his life. He had a fairly strong stomach and could handle what the newbies couldn't. That's why they were taking the adults to the hospital.

The drive to the local hospital was short but navigating took some time to get there because of the slick and icy streets. When they arrived, doctors were already waiting outside for them. Sasuke and Naruto were wheeled away to the Burn Unit so that treatment could begin immediately.

The boys were each transferred to a movable bed before being whisked away by medical staff. As dusk fell upon the hospital Naruto stirred and opened his eyes. They were heavy and rough and he rubbed the sleep from his eyes groggily. The world was a blur of soft yellow and faded blue; the muted egg yolk walls tilted and swayed as though he were sailing on choppy ocean waters.

"Kyuubi..." he whispered fearfully.

But his other identity was silent, chained up once more to a wall by his inner consciousness. He was safe. Kyuubi could not take over.

He noticed then that his hands were covered in thick white bandages. When he tried to move his legs, white-hot agony shot down through them. They were also heavily bandaged. With a sigh he resigned himself to the restrictions. The injuries meant that he could not freely walk around. At least he didn't have to go to the bathroom.

Somewhat tentatively, ice blue eyes took in the room around him. There was a picture of a gaudily striped hot air balloon surrounded by an overly blue sky. _'Like the ocean in the sky.' _he thought.

His curious, attentive gaze fell upon a curtained corner of his room. Apparently he had a roommate. _'Maybe its Sasuke!' _he thought excitedly.

"Sasuke!!" he called out gleefully.

A soft groan of pain wound itself through Naruto's small ears.

"Naruto?"

"Yep. That's me." he replied.

The blonde boy ignored the screaming protests of pain from his injuries and managed a slow walk to the curtained "room".

"Sasuke? Are you okay?"

His eyes bordered on the edge of tears and his voice shook with uncertainty and trepidation.

"Y-y-yeah. It hurts though."

Naruto pushed the curtains back and found himself gawking at an irresistibly cute pale boy with entrancing eyes of charcoal.

"Wow. You're pretty." Naruto chirruped happily, for he was glad that his new friend was alright.

"Aw..." a faint blush gave color to Sasuke's alabaster skin

"I can't be pretty. Prettiness is for girls. I'm handsome!" stated Sasuke sternly.

Naruto merely laughed, the musical sound floating up to reach the other boy's ears. The melodious resonance filled the room. Sasuke's eyes lit up with happiness despite the pain his legs were in.

"How can you walk?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the thick bandages on the blonde's legs.

As if on cue, Naruto's knees buckled and he lurched forwards. His face landed on Sasuke's, their lips crashing together in a rushed kiss. Naruto closed his eyes for half a second before they both pulled away, spitting and gagging and gasping and choking.

Neither of them would admit it at the time, but they each felt a little something stir within their chests.

"Whoops. Sorry about tha—"

"What are you doing out of bed?!" a male nurse who was busy carrying a dinner tray into the room asked sternly.

Naruto's eyes squeezed shut as fat tears rolled down his cheeks. He began to tremble as he hyperventilated in place before finally passing out on the cold hospital floor. The nurse set the tray down and immediately picked up the blonde.

'_Can't...can't breathe.' _were Naruto's final thoughts as the world around him crumbled down into a black abyss.

**And...I know I cut the chapter short, but at least I updated. I'm only allowed in my room for a certain amount each day so I did what I could. Well, I love reviews so make me happy and push the little blue button!!**


	8. Stranger

**I sincerely apologize for the utmost crappiness of the last chapter and for the tardiness of my update. I have been so busy, plus I've been grounded so I only get computer time for ten minutes, so it hasn't been easy for me at all. Add that to another long hospital visit and one nasty English teacher and you've got my hectic life. Well, hopefully this chapter will be better than the last.**

**Disclaimer: I shall never own Naruto, but I do have a Naruto blanket. Yay for me!!**

**Chapter 8. Stranger  
**

When Naruto awoke, he found himself looking down a long dark tunnel. He looked up and a drop of water splashed his cheek.

'_What's...going on...? Why am I here again?' _he thought as he began to walk, tracing his hand along the mildew-covered walls to guide him through the opaque darkness.

He noticed then that the hallway seemed to be trembling. He could feel the slimy walls vibrate beneath his hand. Swallowing nervously, he continued walking until he came to a fork. Some instinct guided him to go right, so he turned and kept going until he came to another turn. This time he went left.

'_Why do the walls keep moving? It sounds like a giant snoring in here. Whoa...I always forget how big it is.'_

Before Naruto's eyes stood an enormous cage. A curious-looking piece of paper decorated the entrance, sealing it shut. Some strange kanji was written on it but he was too far away to recognize any of the characters.

"It's like a giant animal cage," he whispered to himself.

His voice echoed loudly, resounding through the room. Just then Naruto felt another vibration, only this time it sounded like someone was laughing. Frightened, he turned to leave, but just then a voice called out to him from beyond the cage doors.

"Help...me...help me." it whispered.

"Kyuubi-chan?" Naruto replied fearfully.

He was afraid. He didn't like Kyuubi-chan very much. His other personality could be scary and unpredictable sometimes. He was oftentimes mean and violent. He didn't like violence very much. He had seen too much of it in his young life already.

'_Is Kyuubi trying to play a trick on me?'_

"Naruto!" the voice was sudden, sharper than shrapnel, and full of disapproval.

It sounded like his father's voice. Naruto flinched, tried to run, but something made him freeze in place. Someone was touching him. Someone's hand was tracing itself down his back, over the bandages that covered his scars.

"No... Don't." he whimpered softly.

Just then a white-hot flash of pain ricocheted through him as the bandages were ripped forcefully from his back.

"Daddy, no. IpromiseI'llbegood. Idon'twantthecloset. Iwasgood,wasn'tI?"

"No, Naruto. You weren't good."

Naruto tried to twist his head so he could see the man he called "Daddy", but his attempt was met with a slap that resounded through the large room.

"Kyuubi, help me!" he moaned as his pants were yanked down, catching on the bandages and causing him even more agony. He received no response from his other personality, who remained silent. He fell to the ground and his sensitive ears picked up on the sound of a zipper coming undone. Then something warm and wet was placed against him.

"NO!" Naruto cried.

He squirmed as hard as he could, trying to get away. He was able to turn his head slightly and caught a glimpse of a man with long black hair and snake-yellow eyes. Then he was forced down to the ground, cheek pressed roughly into an inch of water. Some of it got in his nose and he sputtered, gasping for breath.

'_No...It's him...How did find me? I ran so far away.'_

"NO!" he shouted again. "I have real parents now. I don't need you. Go away!"

"Naruto, Naruto wake up!" a familiar voice called to him.

It sounded so warm and loving, Naruto wanted to go towards it. He wanted out of the nightmare realm he was in. Wanted away from the man who was trying to hurt him the way he'd been hurt so many times before.

"If you leave, I'll find you. I'll hunt you down and I'll kill you!" the man whispered, grabbing Naruto by the front of his shirt and picking him up. Naruto saw that the man was naked from the waist down and looked away.

"You d-don't have anything to do with me a-anymore. Go away. Get out of my head!" Naruto replied, feet still dangling off the ground.

'_He's not real. He's not real. He's not real. Open your eyes. You have to open your eyes.'_

Naruto squinted his eyes shut and opened them again. The world leered at him blurrily at him from all sides. He blinked rapidly, trying to get ride of the fuzz. Finally, he saw familiar face leaning in towards him, a face with silver hair and black eyes.

"Mr. Hatake!" Naruto squealed happily.

He tried to climb up the man's arm and cling tightly to it, but he was weighted down by the bandages on his legs, so he settled for holding Kakashi's hand with both of his own in spite of the other bandages that covered his burned hands.

"I escapeded from my nightmare. I heard your voice," the blond declared happily as if he couldn't be more content at the moment. ", and I followed it."

Kakashi chuckled and mussed Naruto's hair affectionately, surprised at how naturally the gesture came.

"That's good Naruto." he replied somewhat absently, his eyes focused on the thick bandages wrapped around Naruto's legs.

The blond followed his gaze down to his legs and stared at them, as though he couldn't recognize what they were. Then he looked back up at Kakashi, who was watching him sadly.

'_I don't want to see Mr. Hatake be sad. Did I do something wrong? I don't...think I did. I was just hiding...cause I deserved it...but I'm still here 'cause I saved Sasuke. But I have to make Mr. Hatake feel better.'_

"They don't hurt." he said, his blue eyes wide with honest certitude. "Not one bit." he added after the look on Kakashi's face remained the same.

"I know." Kakashi said, trying desperately to think of any excuse he could find to leave the room. He didn't want to cry in front of the child. The poor kid had been through enough. He didn't need to see him break down. Finding no reason to leave, he remained in the room, fidgeting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

Absently he traced over the scars just above his right elbow, a habit he often did when he was thinking about something.

"Is Sasuke okay?" Naruto's innocent question nearly rent Kakashi's heart in two.

'_Here he is thinking about someone else, when he should be worried about himself. This kid is so unpredictable. First tears, than laughter.' _he thought, remembering the night before when Naruto had had a nightmare.

"Sasuke? Oh, you mean the little boy who ran inside to try and find you?"

"He did that?" Naruto's eyes grew wider still with wonder. "For me?"

"Yes, he did. I think he's sleeping right now. It is five-o-clock in the morning. You should really try to get some more rest."

"Where's Mr. Umino?" Naruto asked. "I don't see him here."

Kakashi's face took on a worried expression. Though he tried his best to hide it, Naruto was highly perceptive and caught on right away. Immediately he began to tremble.

"He's okay, right? Right?" Naruto asked insistently.

"I...don't know. I came here first thing after I was released because they said your wounds were critical. You're in the Burn Unit of Konoha's hospital right now and you're lucky to be alive."

"I deserved to die." Naruto mumbled lowly. "The voice in my head...Kyuubi told me so."

Kakashi looked at the small child sitting on the bed with a bemused expression. He felt his heartstrings tighten painfully as he continued to observe Naruto. He looked so vulnerable on the large white bed with two I.V. needles stuck in his arm and wrapped up in bandages like a mummy.

Just then a nurse walked in, trailed by a man with raven hair and matching sable eyes.

"He's in the partitioned room," she murmured sympathetically before leaving the man to check on other patients in the Burn Unit.

"You're our new neighbor, aren't you? Uchiha, right?" Kakashi asked, somewhat relieved to have some adult company.

"Yes. Itachi will do."

"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking? You look quite young, if you don't mind me asking."

"Eighteen." Itachi replied.

"Really young then." Kakashi said smiling.

"'Tachi-san?"

Itachi and Kakashi both turned towards Naruto, who was sitting up with a look of profound sorrow in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I made Sasuke get hurt. I was bad. You can punish me however you want."

"Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, utterly shocked by his admission.

"I deserved this." Naruto motioned with one severely bandaged hand to his legs, pulling the I.V. pole towards him slightly. "But if that doesn't meet your approval, you can still punish me. I promise I won't flinch or anything."

Itachi gave Kakashi a questioning look, who then mouthed the word 'Abuse.' The man nodded, his eyes darkening with silent sympathy and rage directed towards the persons who had brought the child about to his way of thinking. The dark-haired man approached Naruto and knelt down to his level.

"Listen, Naruto. I do not hold you responsible for my brother's injuries. You do not deserve any of this." he gestured to the bandages wrapped around Naruto's hands and legs. "So I want you to promise me that you will not blame yourself for what happened. Promise?" he held out a hand for Naruto to shake.

"Promise." said Naruto, touching his heavily wrapped hand to Itachi's own pale one.

Kakashi watched, relief flooding through his body as he sensed the kindness and sincerity behind Itachi's actions.

Itachi stood, glanced at Kakashi, and nodded slightly. Kakashi replied with a nod of his own. Naruto looked down, trying not to feel guilty about what had happened. Just then his stomach rumbled loud enough that both Itachi and Kakashi, who were standing three feet away, could hear it.

Naruto's cheeks flamed in embarrassment, but he said nothing and settled for playing with his bandages instead of voicing his hunger. He knew that food would be given to him...if he deserved it. If he did not, then he would go hungry until Kakashi decided to feed him.

'_I miss Mr. Umino.' _he thought as he began absently unwrapping his bandage.

"Naruto, leave your bandages alone." Kakashi said.

"B-But they feel weird." he stuttered as he tucked the loose strand in between the layers of white gauze.

"Do they hurt?"

"No." said Naruto. "They just feel funny. They don't hurt. Can I take them off?"

The silver-haired man shook his head and went back to conversing with Itachi.

"So, you just moved here because you felt like it?" he asked the other man.

"My father passed away last month and left his entire company in my hands. I moved here so I would be closer to my work and also because my brother needs to start attending school again. His last school was not..." he stopped in his explanation, searching for a word that continued to evade him. "He was being teased for not having a mother. She died when he was seven. He's nine now. He does seem to be coping well on his own, but he needs friends. Someone like Naruto...Well, I believe that Naruto could help Sasuke. He certainly is friendly, if not a little timid. What's your story?"

"He's...he's had it rough." was all Kakashi could manage to say before a lump formed in his throat. "He's had it really rough."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, but said nothing in response.

"Aniki?" came a small voice from the partitioned room.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, his eyes flying to the other side of the room.

Itachi pulled the curtains open to reveal a groggy child with mussed raven hair and pale white skin. The combination was striking on him.

"Naruto?"

"Sasuke!" Naruto replied happily.

He tried to jump out of bed, but Kakashi caught him just in time and held him in place.

"You're not supposed to move, Naruto. You're burns are still open and very bad. If you move, you'll do even more damage."

"But I wanna see Sasuke."

"You can see him just fine right here."

"I can't see." Naruto protested.

"Don't be silly, Naruto. Wait...You really can't see Sasuke's face from here?"

Naruto shook his head, tears starting to build in the corners of his eyes.

"Okay, okay, calm down. The doctor will have my head for this, but I'll carry you over there to him, okay." Kakashi reassured him.

"The bed has wheels but they're locked in place." Sasuke announced. "You could push mine over there if you move that little lever down there."

"Gee, you're smart, Sasuke. Not like me." Naruto chirruped happily, not at all discouraged by the fact that he was speaking negatively of himself.

"Naruto!" Kakashi admonished. "Don't say things like that."

Naruto looked down guiltily. "Sorry." he mumbled.

It was obvious that he was used to being talked down to and that normal adult behavior consisted of his constant punishment. This show of kindness and consideration was new to him. Consequently, he was puzzled by it.

'_I don't understand. I was bad, and they don't punish me. Itachi said it wasn't even my fault.'_

'_They'll get you later, boy. You know it will happen later.' _whispered his alternate personality's voice.

'_Shut up, Kyuubi. No one cares. I was good, so they say.'_

'_So they say, but what do you know, eh? They'll punish you later, and if they don't, I will.'_

'_That's an empty threat. You can't hurt me. You live inside me. Hurting me would be hurting yourself, dumb-butt.'_

While Naruto was arguing with Kyuubi, Itachi wheeled Sasuke's bed over beside his. Sasuke observed Naruto's glazed-over expression and reached out to touch his arm. This snapped the blonde out of his reverie. He looked up at Sasuke with a forlorn sort of smile.

"Are you feeling better?"

Sasuke nodded tiredly. "Did you save me?"

"I pulled the flaming woody thing off your leg." Naruto responded happily. "An' then I pulled you out of the house."

"Wow..." said Sasuke. "You must have been really scareded."

"Naw. I wasn't scared at all." Naruto declared, but then stopped when Kakashi gave him a stern look. "Okay, maybe a little."

Kakashi smiled warmly, and then turned to Itachi.

"I know you must be as exhausted as I am, but...I want to check on my..." Kakashi wasn't sure what term to apply to his boyfriend. He didn't want Itachi to judge him in any way in the hopes that Naruto might have a new friend.

"If he's your lover, then say so. Only Kami can judge you." Itachi spoke softly.

Kakashi turned scarlet. "We haven't gone that far yet. He's my boyfriend. Thanks for that. I'd appreciate it if you could watch Naruto and Sasuke for a moment so I can check on him? I'll try to find out what room he's in. He should behave himself, but sometimes he gets scared over silly things and..." Kakashi realized he was rambling but couldn't stop himself.

"Go." Itachi commanded. "I raised Sasuke almost entirely by myself. This is nothing different."

"But sometimes he gets scared and..."

"Go. It'll be alright," he said reassuringly.

"Thank you."

Kakashi left, leaving Naruto and the others behind. He returned to the ICU of the hospital where he had seen his boyfriend last. As luck would have it, Iruka was still in the same room. His normally tan face held a sickly pallor and he had a breathing mask over his face.

He was by the man's side in an instant. Iruka reached out a shaky hand to him and he took it into how own, absently marveling over how they seemed to meld together so perfectly.

"How are you? Can you talk?"

Iruka used his right hand to drag a sketchpad over to where he could reach it, then picked up a pen and began to write. When he finished, he tapped the paper with his pen. Kakashi peered down and read the short note.

"Doctors said not to talk for a while," it read.

"Oh, okay."

Iruka began hastily scribbling another message. This time when he was done he tapped the paper emphatically.

"Is Naruto okay?" was scrawled across the note pad.

"Naruto's..." Kakashi began, unwilling to let his boyfriend worry over the blond-haired child. "His hands and legs are burned pretty badly, but he's happy as can be because Sasuke's in the same room as him."

"Good." Iruka wrote. "I'm tired."

"Just rest, Iruka. I'll keep an eye on Naruto for you, alright."

Iruka nodded, then watched with an aching heart as he watched the love of his life walk out of the room. Kakashi returned to the room expecting a catastrophe and instead finding a normal scene of conviviality.

Naruto was explaining to Sasuke the dangers of taking giant craps in the bathroom and what air freshener was best to use when you were finished while Itachi watched them with an expression of extreme bemusement.

"And so if you need to take a big dump, try not to make a lot of noise cause people might think you're a scary monster." Naruto was saying right as Kakashi walked in.

"Okay. I don't want to know where this conversation's headed. Maybe I should just leave."

Sasuke and Naruto both turned and shouted "NO!" as loud as they could.

"Alright, alright. Calm down. I was only gone for ten minutes."

"Is Mr. Umino okay?" asked Naruto.

"He's fine. Just suffering from some smoke inhalation."

"I wanna go see him."

"I wanna see this Mr. Umino person." Sasuke chimed in.

"Sasuke!" Itachi admonished his younger brother. "It is extremely rude of you to talk like that."

Sasuke looked down, playing with his hands. Naruto put one bandaged hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "It's okay. Mr. Umino wouldn't mind if you called him a persons."

This cheered Sasuke up a lot. "There are books over there on the shelf. Can you read me one, Aniki?"

Itachi retrieved a book titled "The Old Man Who Made the Flowers Bloom," and handed it to Sasuke.

"You can read it yourself, Sasuke. You know how to read. And I'm sure Naruto can help you with any words you get stuck on."

"Naruto can't read." Naruto said sadly, speaking in third person. "Naruto doesn't know how..."

Kakashi couldn't resist the urge to get up and comfort Naruto. He went to hug Naruto, but Naruto flinched as soon as he touched him.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Kakashi said, backing off. "I...forgot that you don't like hugs."

Naruto regarded him with impassive blue eyes while Sasuke watched on without comprehending.

"I'll read the story, and Aniki can help me with the words I get stuck on." Sasuke interjected.

"Okay!" said Naruto, snapping out of his trace.

Sasuke read the book while Naruto followed along, occasionally repeating a word or two here and there. The raven-haired child had almost no trouble with any of the words and when he finished the book, he looked over to check on Naruto, who had grown silent during the second half of the book only to find that said blond had fallen asleep listening to him read.

Sasuke put the book down and pulled the covers over Naruto's head. Then he squirmed down beneath his own sheets, scooted next to his new friend, and put an arm around him carefully before closing his eyes. He was asleep within minutes.

"How cute." Kakashi whispered. "Is your brother always like that?"

Itachi shook his head, mystified. "I've never seen him take such a liking to anyone before."

"Well, all we can do is try and get some rest. I'm exhausted," the silver-haired man suggested. "It's barely six in the morning."

"True." Itachi replied.

The two men sat down in surprisingly soft cushioned chairs and were soon soundly asleep. A nurse came by and deposited a blanket over each of them before continuing her rounds. They all slept peacefully, undisturbed by nightmares of the past. Outside the hospital, however, a mysterious person cloaked in black huddled just beyond the entranceway.

"Yes." he whispered into a tiny black dot on the upturned lapel of his cloak. "He's here."

"Not yet." replied a snake-like voice. "Not yet. Return to base."

"Affirmative."

The cloaked stranger looked for any sign of a witness, but the streets were deserted. He stood and seemingly melted into the wind, disappearing without a trace.

**Woot!! I finished. I finished. Go me! Go me! I hope you all like this chapter. I found it very difficult to type. And yes, I know that severely burned patients are often kept in a medicated coma because of the immense pain, but if I did that, I wouldn't be able to write the chapter with just Kakashi and Iruka. I'm also thinking about skipping ahead a few years. What do you think? I need some feedback. Push the little blue button and make me happy. –– Bottlecaps.**


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